Into better days
by Hundemaedchen
Summary: High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...
1. One for all and all for one

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M because of the content of later chapters**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>eventually Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings: **Violence, strong language, sexual content

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><p><strong>I. - One for all and all for one<br>**

It's been just another ordinary day. The sun was blinking through the trees that edged the street and the parking lot of St. Helmsley High School. The scenes that happened at this first day of school were just as ordinary as the weather was for a day in mid September in Chicago. The parking lot was crowded with cars and students greeting each other after the summer break, updating each other about the newest gossip in town. Buses arrived and more hordes of students surged on to the schools forecourt. Already the cool kids, the nerds and jocks and all other subcultures met up in groups, chatting and curiously eyeing the other groups and, of course, all the students that did not belong to a group, making their way up to the school's main entrance alone. As every year those students along with the new ones were cannon fodder for the older and much cooler kids.

Phil got out of his car, stretching and scanning the scene as all the others did. But as opposed to them he didn't give a single fuck about what was going on in front of him. His eyes still half closed from the neglected sleep of the former night, he just blankly stared at them. He took off his jacket, reviling two muscular arms covered with numerous colourful tattoos, and threw it into the back of his car. On the other side of the car his friend Daniel did the same.  
>"It's quite warm today", the smaller boy declared, scratching his unshaven chin. He obviously got a lot more sleep than his inked friend and overlooked the crowd on the parking lot with some interest. He spotted a tall black-haired guy leaning against a black Vauxhall. Their gazes met and as Daniel waved, the tall man locked his car and approached them.<br>"Morning", he murmured in a deep and sonorous voice. He gave Daniel a quick hug and patted Phil on the back who was able to respond with a mumbled "Mornin' Wade". The greeting between them didn't turn out as warmly as the other student's ones, but as opposed to them the three young men had seen each other quite a lot during the summer break. Except for a one-week-camping-trip Daniel did with his family and a 2-week-vacation Wade did to England to visit his relatives in Preston, they spent almost every weekend together. And, for the matter of fact, almost every evening during the week. That's what happens if you're in a band, you'll practically spent every spare minute with your band mates.  
>Together the three young men made their way to the entrance, taking a seat at the massive stone-balustrade of the stairs leading up to the front door of their high school. Daniel drew a crumbled package of cigarettes out of his back pocket, took one and offered the package to Wade. The English-born took one, muttering a short "Thanks", and after lightening it he took a deep drag, closing his eyes and sighing in contentment. He brushed away a streak of hair and enjoyed the warm late-summer sun on his skin. They remained silent and Phil stared on his boots, still quite tired, whereas Daniel indulged himself in watching the students that passed them by. Most of them greeted the three of them, waving at them or shaking hands with the two more awaken ones. Even though the jocks and upper class kids used to call them freaks, Phil, Wade and Daniel were among the most popular kids around. Mostly, because of their punk and grungy looks and the fact that their music was quite popular among the younger population of their part of town.<p>

But lets turn away from the little group for a moment to take a closer look at some of the other students. Of course there were the football players, a bunch of pumped up morons accompanied by a noisy crowd of cheerleaders. There were the gothics, dressed in black and avoiding the company of any human being that was not part of their elite group. There were the upper class kids that drove big and expensive cars, wearing the latest and most expensive outfits and looking down to all the other students as if they were just some scum underneath their fingernails. There were a lot of other people: the ones from the art club, the physics-nerds, the choir and the school's orchestra, the marching band and a whole lot of other athletes. But if you dare to take a closer look, it's always the desolated that are the most interesting individuals.  
>One of them was Cody Rhodes. He was your average maths-nerd, with big glasses, corduroys, and chequered button-down shirts that looked as if he inherited them from his great-grandfather. He was smart, no doubt, with his intelligence not limited on mathematics but also on other subjects. But in school it doesn't matter how smart you are. On the opposite, the smarter you are the more likely you will be the victim of the united army of the school's bullies. It was the same for Cody. The bullies loved to give him a hard time but instead of desperation and sadness, intense hatred and anger grew inside the slender body of the boy.<br>Another one of them was Mason Ryan. He was quite the opposite of Cody, tall, with heavy muscles, and no fear of any bullying whatsoever. He wasn't all that clever, at least in regard of school, and already had to repeat a year, but his figure and calmness always prevented him of being bothered or mocked by others. The downside of this was the fact that Mason didn't have a single friend. Always wandering the corridors and sports grounds on his own he had nobody to talk to. Some students just ignored him, whereas the majority just feared that he would hit them with one of his big hands anytime they decided to address him. But opposed to his looks, Mason was kind in nature and felt very sorry that he had to be all on his own all the time.  
>Then there was Evan Bourne. He was smart, helpful, part of the swimming team, quite popular with the girls and very cheerful overall. But because of his fragile nature and his calm disposition rumours about him being homosexual spread among the students. This didn't derogate his popularity among the girls, but his male classmates and especially the members of the football and hokey team looked down at him with disgust and even severely attacked him physically on his way home from practice.<br>The last one to mention was a new guy, Sheamus O'Shaunessy. His family just moved to America. It's been only three days since they arrived in one of Chicago's suburbs and the Irish-born already hated it. It was too warm and his pale white skin tended to blister underneath the hot sun. He didn't have that much contact with other kids of his age so far, but his trips to the local shop and the park had shown him that it would be difficult to make any friends with such a funny accent as his. The looks the people in front of his new school gave him just aggravated this feeling of being a zoo animal.

All of them were targets of Daniels 360-degrees view but he didn't spent any time thinking about them. His mind was drifting to a new song stuck in his head. He had to tell his mates about it, but he decided to wait until lunchtime to make sure he had Phil's full attention.  
>While he was daydreaming Cody made his way up the stairs to the school entrance. Suddenly a hand reached out for him out of a group of people and pushed him hard. With a appalled yelp he tripped. One hand reached for his face, protecting his glasses from making contact with the solid stone steps. With his other hand he tried to catch his fall but he slipped and slammed his knees and face hard against the ground. Laughter accompanied him when he picked himself up and hurried into the building without looking back. His face was red. Red from blood dripping from his nose and chin, but also red from the embarrassment and anger that burned inside him. He wouldn't put up with these things any longer!<br>Outside the students were still laughing, calling the fleeing boy names and laughing even harder. The noise bothered Phil. He could feel the glimpse of a headache growing inside his head. He jumped down from the balustrade he was sitting on and forced his way through the crowd towards the door. The nudged and thrust aside students looked at him in disapproval but nobody dared to say something to the tough and rowdy boy.  
>Daniel and Wade followed their band leader with their gazes as he stormed into the building, disappearing into one of the numerous corridors. They finished their cigarettes and with the first ringing of the bell they followed all the other students into the building, making their ways towards their classrooms and towards a new year of school.<br>But it shouldn't be as ordinary as the start may let you think it would be. This year things would change, drastically change. Cody was sure of that when he sat down at his desk. Thoughts rushed through his mind, circulating around each other, forming ideas and visions, drowning out the noisy class in his back and an already enervated teacher struggling for attention in front of him.

The bell rang and in an instant the corridors were filled with brawling students. They all headed towards the cafeteria or towards the doors leading to the big patio of the school complex. Happy that the first part of the day was over, Phil threw his books and papers into his bag and stormed out of the room. On the corridor he looked around, searching for his band mates. He spotted them leaning against their lockers and he headed towards them, making his way through the crowd. The first day of school clearly wasn't his favourite day of the year, but at least he was almost fully awake by now.  
>"Lets go outside, I have to talk to you!", Daniel shouted over the noise of the laughing and chatting people around them as Phil approached. Together the three of them made their way towards the doors. Outside they decided to not take a seat at one of the tables and benches provided. Instead they walked along the side of the science building in the direction of the sports grounds. They sat down beneath a huge oak tree at the edge of the football court.<br>"I have a new song for us", Daniel said. "Is it good?", Wade asked, already chewing on a sausage he brought himself for lunch.  
>"I guess so", Daniel responded. "At least the guitar part is and the lyrics as always depend on Phil's ideas." He took a sip from his bottle of water and started to fumble at his cigarettes again. "Do you think I'd tell you about a song that's shit?", he growled, realising how stupid Wade's question was. The Englishman remained silent and kept chewing on his sausage.<br>"We should meet up later at Phil's and I'll play it to you." Daniel decided not to get frustrated by Wade's obvious lack of interest and kept babbling about the new song, lighting his second cigarette of the day. Phil barely listened. He leaned back on his elbows and drew a can of Pepsi from his bag. He enjoyed sitting in the shadow of the big tree, the ceaseless pribble-prabble of his friend in his ears. He yawned and quickly licked his lower lip, playing with his labret piercing. In fact, the dark-haired boy was close to falling asleep again.  
>A pained scream startled him and he sat upright. He looked at Wade and Daniel who stared back at him as equally puzzled as he was. "What was that?", the Englishman asked, turning his head towards the football yard and the potential source of the noise.<br>"A scream..." Ignoring Daniels insertion Phil and Wade stood up, eager to find out who gave off the tortured howl.  
>At the far end of the yard, nearby the big grandstand, they spotted a crowd of approximate twelve people. The bright red fabric of the blazers hypothesized that the majority of the crowd consisted of players of the school's football team. Again a chocked cry cut through the warm summer air. "Coincidence?", Wade asked, looking down at the smaller man. "I don't think so", Phil responded and together they ran towards the bunch of people. "Wait for me!", Daniel shouted. His cigarette still in his mouth, he hectically collected the bags his older companions left behind and rushed after them.<br>Coming closer the whole scene reviled itself to the two faster men. As they assumed, most of the present people were part of the local football team. They had encircled a much smaller group of boys. One of them, Evan, was sitting on the ground, rubbing his face where, most probably, one of the football jocks hat hit him. In his back Cody was standing eye to eye with Randy Orton, one of the pumped offence players of the team. The tall athlete smirked at the brave yet pretty helpless resistance of the smaller man. The picture was completed by Sheamus being hold by two men. They grabbed him at his arms, holding the obviously furious Irishman in place.  
>Wade came to a hold in front of the crowd, standing there with his arms crossed and looking as displeased as he could, with his lips curled and his eyes lowered. Phil stood next to him, staring at the delinquents with arrogance. "Hey! What're you doing?", Wade inquired. Heads tuned towards them and Sheamus looked up at the sound of such a very well known accent.<br>"That's none of your business!", Randy snapped at them. Without taking his eyes of the intruders he reached out for Codys collar, pulling the smaller man closer.  
>"I beg to differ!", Wade exclaimed.<br>"If you think that you can ruin this wonderful and sunny afternoon of mine by making such a mess, you're clearly on the wrong track!" Phil shove himself in front of Wade. "It's the first day of school, which I do not enjoy es much as you might think, by the way, and you fucking idiots have nothing better to do than picking on some weaker students and bothering us with it?"  
>"It's. None. Of. Your. BUSINESS!", Randy shouted at the inked boy. "Besides, there's absolutely nothing you could do about it!" Saying this he pushed Cody so hard the young man stumbled backwards, falling over Evan, which caused all the jocks to burst out into laughter.<br>Wade made an attempt to throw himself at Randy but two of the other football players stepped in his way. "Haha, come at me bro!", Randy laughed at the sight of an enraged Wade, struggling to get past his team mates. "Do you think you can handle us all?"  
>"Maybe I can."<br>A dark voice made them all turn around. Mason Ryan just stood there, his massive arms hanging loosely at his side. Daniel, who finally managed to catch up with his friends, poked Phil, exchanging puzzled looks. It was practically the first time they heard the silent man talking.  
>Concerned murmurs arose from the red dressed pack. "Lets go, this turns out to be more stressful than I thought.", Randy stated, pretending to be all cool and at ease. He gestured at the two boys that were holding Sheamus and they instantly let go of him. The pack of athletes departed, leaving the strange group of young men behind.<br>"Thank you", Cody said as he stood up, brushing away the dust from his pants. Evan, who also got up, nodded in agreement. "I would have given them the beat up of their sorry lives if I'd had the opportunity!", Sheamus stated. He was still staring at the leaving assembly.  
>"I bet you would've", Phil snorted. He shook his head and turned around to leave and savor the rest of their break. Wade took his bag Daniel handed him and the three friends were about to walk back to their shadowy spot underneath the oak tree.<br>"Wait! … Please." They turned around again as Cody started talking.  
>"I'm sick of these things always happening to me!", the speccy boy announced. "Wedgies, my head being flushed in the toilet, the old why-do-you-hit-yourself-games... I'm sick of it! I'm sick of being verbally assaulted every time I set foot into this building! I'm sick of being pushed around by guys that are stronger than me! I'm sick of the pitiful looks my teachers give me when I enter the room, totally deranged! I'm sick of being unable to do the slightest thing about this!"<br>His head reddened in rage as he spoke. Next to him Evan nodded in approval. "I don't want to get hit in the face by those idiots anymore!", he whispered, still fingering his sore cheek.  
>"And what do we have to do with it?", Phil asked. He saw the difficulty of their situation, but as Randy said, it was none of his business.<br>"You could help us", Cody demanded.  
>"We?" The three young men looked at each other and chuckled.<br>"And you, too!", Cody added, turning to Mason who was still standing in the background, trying to sneak away unnoticed. The eyes of the huge boy widened. Why him?  
>Unflinching Cody continued. "You'll get something in return of course."<br>By saying this Cody ensured the full attention of Phil and his friends. Coming closer Cody told them about a plan that slowly evolved inside his head. At first, the idea was about a loose alliance from which every member should benefit. Cody offered private lessons for Phil and his friends, who in fact weren't all that good with regard to mathematics, physics and chemistry, and Sheamus, and Evan agreed to spent more time with Mason so that the tall man didn't have to spent his breaks all on his own. In return the four others promised to look after their badly treated companions. But none of them would have thought that this randomly put up group would transform in something much bigger.

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><p><em>Well, this is my first attempt on a fanfic for, what, over six years?<em>  
><em>Please review, I'm always willing to advance<em>


	2. That we feel as one

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M because of the content of later chapters**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>eventually Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings: **Violence, strong language, sexual content

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><p><strong>II. - That we feel as one<strong>

The weeks went by and Cody's vague idea assumed shape. He met up with Phil, Daniel, Wade and Mason twice a week in the school's library to help them with their maths-skills. Soon the first improvements manifested. Daniel didn't have his first exam yet but Wade, Mason and Phil, who all attended the same maths-course, managed to improve their grades contrary to the preceding year. The seven men spent their breaks together, either sitting inside the cafeteria building or underneath 'their' oak tree. Rumours about their arrangement spread among the other students and most of the time the bullies didn't dare even to look at Cody or Evan in a wrong way. Occasionally Wade and Mason had to remind them of their obvious and massive presence.

Phil's little apartment, that actually was the Brooks' garage, was their regular meeting point in the late afternoons or evenings and on the weekends. Phil, who lived together with his father at the edge of town, lost himself in his new role as host and the boys enjoyed hanging out in his little realm. The place was quiet and a bit secluded from the other houses in their street. Since Phil's dad was working as a freelance photographer he spent half of his time out in the fields and the other half inside his workroom. He loved his son and granted him almost every wish. It has been quite natural to him to clear the garage for his offspring when he demanded a big room for himself and his band.

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><p>One Sunday Daniel and Sheamus were sitting on Phil's sofa. The smaller, bearded boy was scribbling on a piece of paper with occasional pauses in which he tend to chew on his pencil while staring at the blank wall. Phil was busy emptying the washing machine that was also standing in his room-slash-garage-slash-rehearsal-room. He threw a big load of clothes into a basket, went over to the door that connected the former garage with the rest of the Brooks' house and kicked it open. "Dad! Your laundry's done!", he yelled, placing the basket on the other side of the door and closing it again.<p>

"Oh this is awful, just awful!", Daniel cried out. He crumbled up the piece of paper he was writing on and dashed it against Wade's drum set that formed the centre of the room. With a hollow thud it landed on one of the rack toms. "It's shit!", he exclaimed and facing Sheamus he added: "Rubbish!"

"What's your problem?", Phil asked while kneeling in front of his small refrigerator.

"A new song?", Sheamus asked, looking at the younger man who buried his face in his hands and nodded.

"I have this one song stuck in my head for weeks but every time I try to formulate it THIS happens!" He vaguely gestured in the direction he had thrown the paper. "It's like a curse."

"But what's the actual problem?", Phil asked again, picking up the paper and unfolding it.

"Actually I have everything sorted out", Daniel went on elaborating. "The guitar and bass parts are done and I even have an idea about the drums but... something is missing. I need a second lead guitar."

"No can do", Phil said, throwing Daniels paper into a bin. "I can play bass and guitar but I can't play both at the same time. Either you have to stick with what we have or just forget about that song."

"Nooooo", Daniel howled, sinking deeper into the cushions his arms sticking out towards the ceiling. "That's unacceptable!" He continued with his theatrical gesturing. Phil rolled his eyes and shook his head. His friend tend to overreact when it came to their band and especially their songs. The small blonde boy lived for their project and put all his lifeblood in it. The cancellation of a gig or Wade's pigheadedness with regard to stage attire always left him in a state of mind that could best be described as pure panic. Sometimes Phil feared that his younger peer would die of a heart attack one time. One time soon...

"I can play the bass."

Daniel sat upright staring at Sheamus with bright eyes. "You do?", he asked and let out an excited scream when Sheamus nodded. He jumped up from the sofa ready to hug his pale friend and potential lifesaver.

"Just because one song's not working out you're willing to invite that Irish pillock into our band? Over my dead body!" Wade was leaning against the door frame and smirked. As a member of the band he was used to come and go as he wanted to. Daniel and he even got keys for the side door of the garage.

"Póg mo thóin!", Sheamus snapped, throwing an empty Pepsi can at Wade. The two of them loved teasing and insulting each other with words and expressions the other boys had never heard of before. Their ancestry had welded them together since the very beginning of Cody's alliance.

"Seriously guys, I think this would work", Phil interrupted their playful quarrel. He went over to the wall, grabbed his bass and handed it to Sheamus. "Proof that you're worthy", he added with a foxish smirk. Sheamus sat upright, running his hand over the strings of the bass guitar. Daniel's eyes widened and his smile grew bigger. "That's it!", he screamed after Sheamus played a random sequence of matching chords.

A knock on the door interrupted Daniel's exuberant celebration. Thankful, Wade, who was still standing next to it, opened the door and the three missing members of their group entered. "We heard a scream", Evan said after they greeted each other.

"Sheamus joined our band", Phil explained and went over to his fridge to provide a can of Pepsi for everyone. "Do you ever drink anything else?" Cody wrinkled his nose when Phil handed him one. "My dad did an advert-shooting for them once. We have like a lifelong inventory of this stuff now", Phil said and, reviling an already quite faded Pepsi emblem tattooed on his left upper arm, he added: "Besides, I really like that stuff."

"Part of the band, eh?", Evan asked, throwing himself on the sofa next to his Irish friend. "A soulless ginger? Never ever!", Wade decided and sat down at Evan's other side. Ignoring the small boy sitting between them Sheamus tried to slap Wade. The continued teasing each other and Evan fled the ever so British battlefield.

"Oh, by the way, thanks for your records", Mason said, pulling a bunch of paper out of his bag and handing them to Cody. "I got a C!", he added proudly and gave the much smaller boy one of his rare but warm smiles. "Congratulations", Cody answered still twisting the untouched can in his hands. "I'm glad everything's working out just fine!"

"You're not being bothered anymore?", Phil asked and took the can out of Cody's hands. "Oh, people talk", the younger man replied. "But they keep out of my way in fear of Mason jumping out of a nearby locker or something like that. I'm fine... I guess."

Suddenly the otherwise quite tough nerd blushed and looked away. Phil eyed him with suspicion. "What is it?", he asked but received no answer.

"He has some problems with the ladies", Sheamus explained, ending his little brawl with Wade.

"No way!" All at once the assembled crew fell silent, watching Cody as he turned even more red, his cheeks burning with slight embarrassment.

"He's fed up with all the gals treating him as if he's not there at all", Sheamus continued to update his friends. "Last Friday we were standing at the lockers and this group of blonde chicks passed us by. I think our little fella tried to make eye contact but they were ignoring him."

Cody's reaction spoke for itself. He shove his glasses back up and looked at Phil with such a helpless look in his eyes that made the band leader flinch. "You gotta help me!", he said. "I want to look as cool as you guys!"

Nobody dared to laugh since they all sensed that Cody was dead serious with his request. Even Daniel relinquished to make a sassy remark. Phil looked at him for a long time, his gaze wandering up and down the slender body of his peer. He stepped closer holding a hand above his head, gauging the younger ones hight by moving his hand over the other ones head. "We're 'bout the same height. I could borrow you some clothes to begin with", he suggested and walked over to his wardrobe. "Take off your glasses", Evan demanded while Phil was busy browsing through the mess inside his drawers.

Cody did as he was told and Evan uttered a quick whistle. "Handsome", he declared. "You should think about wearing contact lenses", he proposed.

Handing the nearly blind boy some shirts and jeans Phil announced: "Wear this and we'll see how the girls will react tomorrow."

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><p>Later that evening Mason and Evan were walking home together. Neither of them had a car and out of consideration for Mason Evan was wheeling his bike. They remained silent but neither of them was uncomfortable with it. Mason had helped Evan several times since their agreement on the football field and the much smaller boy was very grateful for that. He actually enjoyed the company of the big yet quiet man and despite his chatty nature he didn't felt the urge to fill the silence with some small talk. He simply felt safe within Mason's presence.<p>

"Well, you know", Mason broke through their silent togetherness with his dusky voice, "I'm really looking forward to going to school since I got to know you guys." He smiled at Evan who returned the gesture. "I spent almost my entire schooldays alone and needless to say that I was relieved when Cody suggested this get-together. I'd have never thought that I would find some friends among you guys. Heck, especially with Phil and Wade being such strong personalities."

Evan chuckled lightly. He felt the same and normally he never grew tired of telling his new friends, but as he watched Mason's endearing silhouette become blurred in the fading light he just didn't feel the urge to talk.

At a junction they had to say good-bye and both men headed in opposite directions. Riding his bike the rest of the way home Evan enjoyed the still fairly warm airstream. He hadn't felt that cheerful in months and even his parents seemed to noticed it. At first they were sceptical realising that their only son was hanging out with a bunch of punks and rascals but as his grades didn't suffer and since he seemed so much more lively they fully accepted it.

He pulled up on the driveway, leaned his bike against the garage and entered the house. He found his mother in the kitchen where she was preparing dinner. "You're home early, darling", she said as Evan kissed her on the cheek. "Some of the guys have tests tomorrow so Phil kicked us out and since I have practice tomorrow too I thought I'd hurry home to see what delicious delicacies my beloved mother prepared to coddle her men with." He snitched one piece of cut sausage from a plate and his mother laughed brightly. Her son meant so much to her and her husband and even though they established strict rules for their household Evan appreciated the love and liberties they gave him. His mother was a very caring type of mother and his father was the best father he could wish for.

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><p>The next day, the band including their newest member met up at Daniels locker which was located close to the entrance. Soon their friends joined them - except for Cody. They were busy chatting when a noisy buzz attracted their attention. Turning their heads toward the entrance they saw Cody entering the building, followed by the stares of almost every person present.<p>

He wasn't wearing his usual outfit but a black Jeans, one of Phil's t-shirts with a big front print and a black jacket. He wasn't wearing his glasses either. His friends smiled at him as he approached them. "You're making quite an impact!", Evan stated. "I bet they're wondering who you might be", Daniel added, patting Cody's back.

The excited murmurs and gazes continued in their lunch break. Due to the weather, it had start to rain during the night, they were sitting inside the big and awfully crowded cafeteria. Cody and Mason just arrived at the table and Mason shove his tray on to the table next to Evan. Cody took place across the table.

"Do you _really_ plan to eat that?", Evan asked in a disgusted tone, eyeing the food on Mason's tray as if it could come to live any minute. "We didn't have anything at home I could bring with me", the older boy explained and started to fork his hopefully dead meal. "I wouldn't risk it", Wade contributed from the far end of the table where he was sharing some scrambled eggs with beacon Sheamus brought along. Since the kind-hearted Irish mother acknowledged that her son was friends with another boy from "the isles" she was eager to prepare lunch for both of them.

Any other comments were interrupted by a group of girls converging their table. They giggled and the boys exchanged annoyed glances. As they came closer one of the girls was pushed forward by her friends. She shook her blonde hair and smiled at Cody. "Hi", she said while the boy just stared at her. Daniel, who was sitting next to him, gave him a kick underneath the table. "Um, hey", Cody stuttered.

"We haven't seen you around", the girl said in her high voice. "And we just wondered... what's your name?"

It seemed rather obvious that Cody gathered all his strength to answer her and to not turn as red as a fire truck here and now. "I'm Cody", he finally managed to say whereupon the other girls started to giggle again. "Nice to meet you, Cody", the blonde girl smiled. "I'll see you around then." They walked away, huddling together, giggling.

"A real ladykiller", Phil sneered. "Just throw away the glasses and the stuff you dared to call clothes and you turn into a chick magnet right away."

Cody sat upright, straightening his back. A big wolfish grin appeared on his face as he ran his fingers through his short and slightly curled brown hair.

"Congratulations!", Daniel cheered, tapping the shoulder of the taller boy. "Finally your looks reflect your character rather than your intelligence. You already started to attract the chicks."

Cody rose his head, rather proud that the female students started to recognize him at last; after all the years of being invisible to them. He thanked god for Phil's help and the little container of contact lenses that has been lying in his bathroom cabinet, unopened since the day his mother decided that he might need them one day.

"He'll be surrounded by hot girls in no time, one in every arm. Hopefully you won't forget your study buddies over all the female attention you will be getting", Phil ragged him and they all laughed as Cody assured that nothing would ever become between him and his studies, not even girls, no matter how sexy they might be. "Normally it's 'bros before hoes' but once a nerd always a nerd", the inked band leader laughed.

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><p>From across the hall two piercing eyes watched the cheerful scene. The young man rose his eyebrow and snorted in disgust. He hated that he was in the same year as most of them, especially with the two biggest trouble makers he had ever known: Wade Barrett and Phil Brooks. He despised them and their simple lives. He knew that he was born to something great, eminent, and those little slobs were bothering him even though he had never actually talked to them. Their sheer presence was sufficient for him to hate them with his whole heart. And now they even had the balls to enlarge their annoying group which turned them into the talk of the school. He was pissed to no limit and he was convinced that he would put an end to that this year. He didn't want to spent another term with this worthless jerks or, even worse, have to graduate with them!<p>

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><p><em>AN: Part two of my little fic. Friendship starts to develop but there's always someone who spoils everything, right?_  
><em>Please review and tell me what you think<em>


	3. All thet we have feared so much

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M because of the content of later chapters**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>eventually Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings in this chapter: **Violence, strong language

**A/N:** Thank you so much for xour comments! They are really appreciated!

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><p><strong>III. - All that we have feared so much <strong>

Cold water embraced his smooth and slender body. The young man took a deep breath and pushed himself from the pool edge. He ploughed through the water and as he arrived at the other end of the pool he had to gasp for air. "Thirty-two seconds!", his coach announced. "You're getting better every day!"

Evan smiled. He loved swimming. Inside the pool he felt weightless and free. He swam towards the ladder and climbed out. His coach came over and patted the wet man on the back. "I'm expecting a lot from you!", he told the small boy and gave him a proud smile. "I won't let you down coach", Evan replied as he removed his swimming cap and goggles. Cheery he went into the locker room, took a quick shower and hurried to get dressed.

He frowned as he stepped out of the building. The rain had increased and he could barely see the buildings across the small paved yard. He held his bag above his head and ran towards the little glass house at the bus stop. 'If it keeps raining like that I can _swim_ back home', he thought while checking the bus timetable. He sat down on a small bench to wait.

Suddenly a familiar voice attracted Evan's attention. He tried to spot the source of the voice and made out some blurry silhouettes under a nearby chestnut tree. One of the silhouettes clearly belonged to his friend Cody. The other one belonged to a blonde boy, roughly their age, with short hair and a wicked smile. Evan couldn't recall his name but by his clothes he recognized him to be one of the rich kids. He started to wonder why Cody was talking to the boy but his thoughts were interrupted as his bus arrived. He entered the vehicle and as he sat down he already forgot about what he had just seen.

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><p>A few days later the temperatures decreased and the rain turned into snow, which was a bit unusual for Chicago at the end of October. Nevertheless, people started to decorate their houses with spider webs, pumpkins and all sorts of gory and spooky things. At St. Helmsley High School it was usual to have a 3-day holiday around All Hollows' Eve. Therefore, the boys had enough time to get prepared for the horror movie marathon Phil had planned for Halloween.<p>

Daniel, Evan and Sheamus had organized some snacks, and Cody and Wade even managed to get some beer. Phil was the proud owner of an enormous collection of horror movies on DVD and even VHS so they had a whole lot of stuff to chose from, starting with classics such as 'Creature from the black lagoon' and 'Nosferatu' up to 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'Alien vs. Predator' and 'Saw'.

They had just finished their second movie and Phil was occasionally answering the door to give candy to trick-or-treating children. "I need a break", Daniel stated. The young man stretched and, getting his cigarettes from his bag, headed to the door. Phil had cleared the roof of the garage from the early snow and they all decided to go up there to get some fresh air. Wade scrounged a cigarette from his friend and the boys sat there in silence, watching the flickering lights of Jack O' Lanterns through the snowy trees in the Brooks' front garden.

After some minutes Phil began to shiver. "Brrr, it's way to cold out here!", he decided. He got up from one of the beverage crates they were sitting on and went to the ladder that led back down to the ground. "I think I'll get the pizza ready. You can join me if you decide not to freeze to death out here." With this words he started to climb down.

"I'll come", Sheamus said also getting up and soon only Mason, Evan and the two smoking men were left. As soon as they finished their cigarettes Daniel and Wade also went back down and inside, and the two remaining boys sat there in silence.

"Are you okay?", Mason asked as he usually did when both of them were alone. Evan felt that the strong man was indeed worried about him and how he got treated at school. "I'm fine", he smiled as he gave his usual response. "No bothering, no hate-messages in my locker... Seems as if they grew tired of pushing me around." He smiled even wider and returned to watch the nocturnal lights on the other side of the driveway and the shadows of costumed children and party-goers rushing by. He breathed in the cold yet refreshing air and wrapped his coat closer around him.

"I always wanted to ask you...", Mason started to say but interrupted himself.

"Yah?" Evan looked at him giving him his cute and open signature smile.

"About those rumours... about you being gay", the strong man continued and lowered his head so he didn't have to look at Evan. "Are they..." Mason obviously had some troubles uttering his question. He had started to play with a loose thread on his sleeve, staring at it and avoiding Evans sight. But in a sudden streak of courage he looked up, directly into the blue eyes of the small swimmer. "Are they true?"

Evan cocked his head, thinking about the question. "I don't know", he finally responded. "I haven't had a girlfriend yet, if you thought of that. It's not that I don't like girls, I'm just not that interested in them... But I haven't thought about being with a man either." Evan tried to read Mason's thoughts by looking into his peer's dark brown eyes, but he couldn't find any indication of either disgust or astonishment. "But still those idiots keep gossiping about me spending my nights with random guys. Jesus, I haven't even kissed another man!" He laughed nervously. He just couldn't figure out what Mason was thinking. Even so he liked him quite much the quiet man remained a mystery.

"You didn't?", Mason asked, shifting on his crate, drawing nearer. The younger man shook his head. Suddenly he felt uneasy under the gaze of his taller friend. "Ahm, no...", was his simple reply as Mason bend his back to bring his head closer to Evan's. The thoughts in Evan's head started to tumble over one another and he was unable to break eye-contact. He felt as if his stomach started to twist inside his body.

And than, all of a sudden, he felt the urge to kiss Mason. The sheer thought of it made him blush and he had to fight against this completely new feeling. Sure, Mason was tall and strong. He had helped him out many times since the last two months and Evan really came to like this calm and moderate young man. But kissing him? Impossible!

But still, in the face of all logic, the feeling just didn't go away. He caught himself staring into the eyes of his friend, in danger of loosing himself in them. The feeling rumbled inside his belly and all at once it grew that big that he couldn't resist anymore.

Leaning towards Mason Evan closed his eyes, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. It lasted no longer than a heartbeat but Evan could still feel this warm and tender lips after he broke the kiss and turned his head away from Mason.

'What did I just do?', he asked himself, startled and surprised by his very own actions. 'Oh my god, what is he thinking right now?' But he didn't dare to look at the man sitting next to him. 'I bet he's disgusted. How could I? Shit, shit, SHIT! Why did I do that? Why did I give in?' And then a new thought hit him as hart as a punch into the face. 'Are the rumours true? Am I... gay?' Confused he stared on his feet, almost forgetting about Mason's presence.

'Am I gay?' The thought kept repeating itself inside his head and it filled him with fear and anxiety. All consequences possible visualized themselves inside his brain, leaving his mind in a state of pure desperation. His parents, friends, schoolmates, expressions of disgust, anger, disappointment and hate on their faces... 'It can't be. I can't be gay!'

He got interrupted as a cold hand reached out for him and touched him on the cheek. Startled Evan turned his head and was once more confronted with this deep and unreadable eyes. "I'm sorry", he whispered but Mason just shook his head. A second hand reached out for him, running through his black hair and resting on the back of his head. With some gentle force Mason drew Evan's head closer to his and their lips met for a second time.

The kiss lasted longer than the first one and bit by bit the tension inside Evan's body seemed to vanish. He closed his eyes and felt his sorrows withdrawing back into the hindmost corner of his mind. He felt Mason's strong hands on his face and in his hair, his soft lips pressing against his own. For the first time he realised Mason's personal odour. He smelled good, tangy yet good.

Everything around them turned into one big haze. The lights melted together and all sounds became one. Evan completely forgot about his surroundings. It didn't matter anymore. The only important thing for him was the other man holding and kissing him. Way to soon Mason broke their innocent kiss. He kept looking into Evan's eyes and a new thought entered the mind of the smaller boy. 'It's okay', he said to himself. 'Being gay can't be that bad if it feels as good as this.' A mild smile appeared on his face which was returned by Mason with one of his rare and open smiles.

"Pizza's ready!"

A loud noise made them startle and burst apart. Daniel was standing at the base of the ladder, his hands forming a funnel, and shouting up to them. "Damn, you must be chilled to the bone!", he stated as both man climbed down the ladder. Actually they hadn't noticed that such a long time had passed by since they were left alone on the roof but as Daniel mentioned it Even felt the icy cold taking over of his body. He rubbed his hands against each other and nodded.

Together they went inside to grab some food and watch some more movies until early morning.

* * *

><p>The weeks went by and almost everything went as usual. Since the incident on the roof the mood between Evan and Mason was a bit tense. They tried to spent some more time together but both were aware that they risked a lot. In the presence of Phil and the other boys they behaved as nothing had happened because they wanted to avoid getting them suspicious at any rate. It was the same with their parents. Evan's parents liked Mason, even though they were a little sceptical in the beginning because of Masons beefy figure. But both men didn't dare to show any affection at the Bourne's house because there they were under constant danger of Evan's mother entering the room at any time to sustain them with snacks and beverages. They couldn't meet up at Mason's home either. Even though his mother was out most of the time with one of her male conquests, Mason's two sisters were a constant threat to their privacy, especially 4-year-old Maria had no sense of privacy whatsoever. The chances for both men to occasionally hug or kiss were rather seldom and it really started to frustrate both of them.<p>

Another thing the group had to struggle with was Cody. The once very nerdy boy had begun to cancel appointments and he chose to hang out with some girls at school rather than sitting or wandering around the grounds with them. He even started to miss some of the learning sessions which made especially Phil and Wade very mad.

One day the group was standing outside the main building of their school, making plans for the upcoming weekend. Daniel had pull off a gig for the band, which restricted their plans, namely to meeting up at Phil's. Evan looked around while Mason tried to convince the other boys that they should have an extra learning session on the weekend, too. He spotted Cody, who was leaving the building together with the blonde guy he had seen him earlier with. Cody showed no intuition to come over, so Evan went over to the stairs where the two young men were standing.

"Hey Code", he greeted his friend and eyed the smug boy standing next to him.

"Well, I gotta go then", the blonde boy said and Evan thought that a little anger resonated in his voice.

"He's one of the rich kids, isn't he?", Evan asked curiously. "I can't recall his name. I saw you talking to him some days ago, are you friends with him?"

Cody just looked at his smaller friend and shook his head. "Oh, never mind", he murmured and left for the bus stop, leaving a pretty confused Evan behind.

"Evan! You coming?" The small man looked around as he heard his name. "We're hanging out at Phil's, wanna join?" He spotted Sheamus waving at him while the other boys were already heading towards the parking lot. He shook his head. "I have swim training", he yelled and made an excusing gesture. "I'll meet you guys later."

The training went quite well. He wasn't able to beat his previous time but he felt more comfortable with his abilities in breaststroke and freestyle. His coach praised him and Evan felt exhausted yet proud when he left the pool building. He didn't notice the group of men standing at the edge of the building. "That's him", one of them whispered and pointed in Evans direction. "You know what you have to do!" The other men nodded and followed Evan who was getting his bike.

The blonde man stayed behind, watching the group as they went after their target. His blue eyes darkened and he curled his lips. This little faggot had seen him talking to Cody. He was a potential threat to his plans and therefore he had to be taught a lesson.

* * *

><p>Although the snow had vanished it was pretty cold and an icy wind howled through the almost empty streets. Evan was riding his bike freehandedly. He rubbed his hands and tried to breath some warmth on them. His hair was still wet and he hurried home. All he wanted was to change his clothes, head over to Phil's and see Mason.<p>

He was just driving through the local park as he heard a car coming closer. According to its sound it must been driving with high speed. Evan descended from his bike and went to the roadside. He most certainly didn't want to get run over by some idiot in a sports car. But instead of driving by the car stopped next to him and five men jumped out of it.

"Evan Bourne?", the tallest one asked.

Evan nodded and suddenly he found himself surrounded by some strong, buff and fierce looking boys.

"It's nothing personal", one of them said and before Evan could answer, two pair of strong hands grabbed his shoulders, removing his backpack and holding him in place. The man who had spoken stepped right in front of him. "Nothing personal", he repeated and punched Evan hard in the stomach.

The young man coughed as all air fled from his lungs. The throbbing pain in his stomach made his eyes fill with tears. Another punch made his legs yield. He would've fallen down on his knees, but the strong arms held him upright. Unable to produce a sound he looked up to his torturer and was rewarded with a sharp slap across the face.

At a word of the tall man Evan was pulled backwards until he felt the rough bark of a tree in his back. The other two men were still holding his arms, bending them backwards until he felt a stinging pain in his shoulders. He yelped and earned himself another slap. The man kept punching him, attacking his stomach, upper body and face with numerous blows. Evan felt his skin crack and blood ran down his face from a wound above his brow. His lips burst open and he tasted the bitter, copper flavour of his own blood in his mouth.

The tall man rubbed his knuckles and wiped Evan's blood from them. Evan felt the other two men loosen their grasp around his arms and fell forward. His shoulders hurt even more as he tried to break his fall and he ruggedly landed on his injured face. He spit out and cringed at the sight of the bloody spot of grass underneath him. "Why?", he asked, his voice coarse and unstable. "I already said it's nothing personal", the man replied laughing and he felt a harsh kick against his ribcage that tossed him on his back.

Evan whimpered and screamed in pain as the five men started kicking him in the side and his back. He covered his face with his arms to protect it from further damage and doubled up in a foetal position. With every cry of distress his attackers laughed even harder. His whole body consisted of merely pain and lightning bolts flickered before his closed eyes.

"Please... let go", he pleaded through his clenched teeth. But his tormentors didn't let go. One of them seized him by the collar and set him on his feet. "Hey, stay with us", he said as he slapped Evan across the face. He raised his hand and gave Evan a punch that sent the young man flying against one of the other man. They pushed him around until his legs indulged and he collapsed. Breathing heavily he lay in the wet grass and felt every muscle in his body aching from the punches and kicks. Tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with blood and sweat, and he started sobbing uncontrollably.

"What a pussy!", one man with a very deep voice snorted and he spit on the small man lying at his feet.

Evan refused to think. He tried hard to shield his brains from any thoughts, just hoping that his torture would end soon. But however hard he tried, some bad thoughts entered his mind, worrying him even more. 'What next? What are they gonna do to me? It hurts so much, I can't stand it anymore. Good lord, let it be over!', he pleaded in silence as more tears dripped from the corners of his eyes.

A strong hand seized him by his neck and dragged him towards the curbstone. Evan's eyes widened. 'They're going to kill me!' The thought sent a new wave of strange through his maltreated body. He stemmed his hands and feet against the ground. "No, please no!", he howled. Again the men burst into laughter. One of them stepped on his hand and they dragged him on and placed his head on the curbstone. "Don't worry", one of them hissed into his ear. "We're not going to kill you. We'll just... hurt you pretty badly!" They laughed again and Evan felt a hand in his hair, pulling his head up. The man slammed Evans head against the solid stone and a merciful darkness dragged him into unconsciousness.

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><p><em>AN: I think I was a little unfair towards Evan, I feel really sorry for him..._  
><em>As always: let me know hwat you think!<em>


	4. To light our way

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M because of the content of later chapters**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>eventually Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings in this chapter:** strong language

**A/N:** Wow, thank you so much for the comments! I'm sorry that it took me so long to upload the next chapter but university startet again, blablabla

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><p><strong>IV. - To light our way<br>**

When Evan woke up he first didn't know where he was. But the severe pain reminded him way too soon. At first he thought that he was unable to move. His arms, legs, his neck and sides, they all just hurt so terribly. To top it all, his unknown attackers must have stripped him off his jacket because he was laying there at the roadside in the freezing cold without any defence against the chilly air. He tried to get up but it took him five tries to finally get on his knees. Immediately he wrapped his arms around himself. Now that he was sitting almost upright his sides hurt more than before.

Biting his lips to deter himself from screaming Evan crawled towards his bag. The content of his backpack was lying all over the ground and as he finally reached his cellphone he had to realize that someone must have stepped on it. The display was splintered and as he picked it up the backside came off. Sobbing he curled up, hugging the remains of his phone. Nobody to call – nobody to help him...

After some minutes of uncontrolled crying the young man found some strength left in his mind and heart. He gathered his belongings and crawled to where he assumed his bike must be laying between some evergreen bushes. He actually found it there, pretty damaged. He couldn't ride it anyway so he pulled it out of the bushes which send a new wave of pain through his body. He had to rest for some time but eventually he freed his bike.

Using it as a sustainer Evan unbent and leaned over the handlebars. He shivered like a willow in the cold and piercing wind. The wet underground he had been lying on had soaked his clothes, making it much easier for the cold to take over his body. Step by step he moved on through the dark and freezing evening.

* * *

><p>"Awesome!", Daniel shouted. He was extremely pleased with the progress of the band. Phil smiled at Sheamus who was standing next to him, his own bass in his hands. As Daniel went on babbling about how great they were and that they would totally rock the crowd on their gig Phil leaned over to the Irish boy. "You fit in perfectly", he told him and Sheamus smiled in return. "To be honest, at first I didn't think that it would actually work out, but it's as if you were there from the beginning." The pale man nodded thankfully. He knew that Phil's compliments were rare and he was proud that he had earned himself one.<p>

"Can we please go on practising?", Wade asked. He sat at his drumset, an almost empty bottle of water in his hands. "I want to play some more songs before our little mate here decides to talk about this stupid stage gear again." Daniel sent an angry look over at the English-born but he picked up his guitar not trying to get into another argument with him.

As they played another song Mason was sitting at the small table, pondering over his homework. A weak knock on the door made them all look up. "Would you get that, Mason?", Phil asked, apologetically pointing at his plugged in guitar. "It must be Evan anyway", he added as Mason get up and went over to the side door.

"Finally", the strong man said as he opened the door but he choked on the word as he looked down. Evan was leaning against the door frame, his hands pressed against his side and his face covered with mud, dried blood and sweat. The young man looked up, exhausted. He tried to make a step forward but his legs refused to work and he fell towards Mason's stretched out arms.

"Holy shit, what happened?", Mason screamed, his voice higher than normal. He took the small boy into his arms, trying not to squeeze him too hard since he obviously was in great pain. His heart had skipped a beat as he saw his friend, and was now beating as fast as a jackhammer. He ran his fingers through Evan's wet hair which earned him a suffering and tired but somehow relieved look. "Who did that?", Mason whispered, fighting the urge to kiss Evan on the forehead.

The others dropped their instruments at the sight of their kneeling friend and went over to them. "Fuck!", Phil swore. "Take him inside", he ordered. He was rushing over to the sofa, throwing the bags and jackets that were laying on it into a corner. Mason lifted Evan up, surprised at the low weight of the swimmer. He gently placed him onto the sofa, kneeling beside his head.

"Bugger!", Wade cursed and Sheamus countered: "Which bleeding git does something like that?" Daniel remained silent. All of them were shocked at the sight of their friend's condition.

"We have to call an ambulance!", Wade stated after a while.

"Bullshit, I'll drive him! I outrun every fucking ambulance!", Phil noted and started to browse his chaos, searching for his car keys.

"We should call his parents", Sheamus remarked and Daniel whipped out his cellphone.

Mason was just kneeling beside the crouched boy, stroking his wet hair and caressing his cheek. He couldn't avert his eyes from Evan's. The young man looked back at him, his eyes half-closed. "T'was closer... than home...", he whispered and closed his eyes. His head hurt dreadfully and everything started to grow hazy in front of his eyes. Helplessly Mason continued to caress his friend. He seemed to be so fragile.

He looked up as something hit his head. Phil was standing at the open door, putting on his leather jacket. He had thrown Mason's jacket at the tall man and Mason hurried to put it on. "You have to carry him", Phil ordered and again Mason lifted Evan up, trying to be as gentle as possible. The young man moaned but didn't open his eyes. "Lock the door when you leave!", Phil said to Wade and together they went outside. Sheamus and Wade were left behind, watching Daniel as he was gesturing frantically while talking to one of Evan's parents.

"I hope he'll be okay", Sheamus said while putting away his bass, "He looked awful." Wade nodded silently.

* * *

><p>The clock on the white, sterile wall was ticking very loud. Mason was making a face because of the strange smell of blood, disinfectant, sickness, and awful hospital food. He hated hospitals. The last time he had been to one was at his youngest sister's birth. He and Marysa had to wait outside the hospital room and as everything was over his mother had pressed a little, crying, bloody human bundle into his arms. Since then she had never really taken care of any of her children except for giving them money to buy food and clothes and such. He had been only 15 years old back then, Marysa even three years younger...<p>

Mason shook his head as the memories tried to overwhelm him. He was standing in front of the room where they had taken Evan to, leaning against the wall he waited. He waited for something to happen. And he waited for answers.

A high and creaky voice roused him from his thoughts. "Where is he? Where's my son?"

Mason turned his head to see the Bourne's running towards him. Ellen, Evan's mother stopped in front of him, grabbing him by his shirt and forcing him to look into her eyes. She had cried and she still did. Her hair was messy but still the tall man could see how beautiful she was underneath all those tears and loose locks of hair. Just as her son.

"What happened?", she asked in a very high pitched voice and Mason waited for Evan's father to drag her away from him. "We don't know", he finally answered. "He just turned up at Phil's and we brought him here."

Ellen looked at him with eyes widened in fear. Then she hid her face in her hands and her husband led her to a chair. They stood there in silence until Mason couldn't stand it anymore. "Phil's over at the reception desk, trying to fill out the papers...", he mumbled and Mr. Bourne looked up. "I guess I should do that instead", he stated, happy about finally being able to do something. "How do I recognize him?", he asked. Mason pointed in the direction the nurse had taken Phil. "Black hair, lip piercing, tattoos.. You can't miss him", he said. "Thanks to his eloquence they agreed to look at Evan right away."

"I'll bear that in mind", the man said and walked away, leaving Mason with a completely distraught and worried mother.

After some minutes Phil and Evan's father joined them and Phil introduced himself to Ellen. Mr. Bourne put his arm around his wife. "Still no informations?", he asked quietly and she shook her head. Another sob escaped her throat. Again silent afflicted the little group.

"Mrs. Bourne?", Mason finally uttered. She looked up to him, eyes red and swollen. "I... I'm sorry. We should have looked after him. **I** should have looked after him. It's my fault! … I'm so sorry."

He cast down his eyes to avoid her look and started to rub his knuckles. A cold and soft hand touched his arm. "No it's not", Ellen whispered. "You did the right thing by bringing him here. I'm more than thankful", and with a side glance at Phil she added: "Evan's lucky to have friends like you two."

They were interrupted by an elderly man in a white coat. He came out of Evan's hospital room and looked around. "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Bourne?" Evan's parents turned around and looked at the doctor with big and eager eyes. "How is he?", his father asked.

"Four ribs show minor fractures and he is suffering from concussion. He also has some minor injuries on his thorax and face, but they are negligible. Also, he is feverish which is not the best state with regard to his injuries, but he'll be fine."

"Can we see him?", Ellen asked and the doctor pointed at the door. "Of course. One of our nurses is applying a bandage and we gave him some strong pain killers, but you should be able to talk to him for a couple of minutes before he becomes too tired."

As the little group entered the room Evan was sitting on a hospital bed. His upper torso was covered in white bandages and several patches covered his face and arms. "Oh sweetheart!", Ellen exclaimed, rushing over to her son and hugging him carefully. "What happened?"

"I had... an accident", Evan said, hanging his head. "Don't lie to me Evan!", his mother stated in a harsh yet concerned tone. "I've been working for the youth welfare office for over twenty years. Believe me, I know what a victim of a beating looks like."

She cupped her son's face in her hands and looked into his eyes. Evan started to feel very uncomfortable. The painkillers started to work but he still felt some throbbing pain in his chest. He didn't want his parents to know what happened, but it was no use lying to his mother. She'll find out what happened either way. All he could do was averting his head and nodding.

"Dear lord", Ellen sighed. From the look of the wounds she assumed so, but his nodding still shocked her. She hugged him again and Evan suppressed a painful hiss as she squeezed his injured ribs too hard. By looking over her shoulder he perceived the three man standing behind his mother. His father looked as concerned as his mother did whereas Phil seemed to be thinking about something. He clenched his fists and bit his lip. He seemed pretty upset.

At last he looked at Mason who was looking straight back at him. Still the smaller boy couldn't detect any emotions in his eyes but Mason's raised eyebrows and his tense muscles revealed his concern. Evan smiled at him but instead of smiling back Mason looked even more concerned. "I'm sorry", he said silently just by moving his lips and looked away.

"I think you should go now, boys. Don't you have school tomorrow?", Evan's father said. "Besides, I think Evan's pretty tired." The young man wanted to disagree, but he felt that his eyes became heavier and he realized that he indeed was very tired.

"You're right Mr. Bourne", Phil answered.

"We'll call you once we'll have talked to the doctor", Evan's father promised. "I think I have your number, Mason."

After waving at Evan and wishing him to get well soon, the two boys left the room and the hospital. On their way through the nocturnal yet lively city they remained silent. From time to time, when they had to wait at a red traffic light, Phil turned his head to look at Mason. But the tall man just stared out of the window.

"Would you give us a call when you hear from his Dad?", Phil asked as he dropped Mason at his home. He nodded and got out of the car. "Mason!", Phil called. "It wasn't your fault", he said looking into the dark and inscrutable eyes of his muscular friend. Mason just shrugged.

* * *

><p>Three days later the boys, except for Evan, met up at Phil's. Cody was there, too. He had been really shocked when the others told him about Evan and was eager to support his small friend. Since they had several courses together he made extra specific notes and copied them for Evan.<p>

"I have some additional homework sheets", Daniel announced and handed Cody some papers. "And Mrs. Carolan is sending her regards to him. Maybe you could tell him. He seems to enjoy her lessons... Urgh." Daniel shuddered.

"The blonde one? She teaches biology, doesn't she?", Phil asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's hot!"

Daniel looked at him in disgust. "She's a student-eating monster from hell", he stated and refused to elaborate more on this topic.

"Anyway... He's back home, is he?", Cody asked Mason, who nodded. "I thought about stopping by to bring him all this." He tapped on the pile of papers he was carrying. "Anyone wanna come with me?"

Mason agreed to accompany the smaller boy, who had chosen to wear his glasses again as long as he was with his friends or at home. He looked a lot nicer and not as arrogant with them, Mason thought, but he avoided to tell his friend.

They stayed with Phil up to late afternoon and then went to the Bourne's house together. It was close to Christmas and the streets, trees, and gardens were covered with snow. It was almost dark and the warm light that shown through the windows of various houses they passed by cast a festive glow on the white grounds. Except for two cars that drove by nobody could be seen. No surprise, since the wind was cold and keen and did its best to penetrate their warm coats.

With a friendly smile Mrs. Bourne asked them in as they arrived at their destination, almost frozen and sniffing from the cold. "It is so nice that you come by to keep Evan's company", the woman fluted and headed towards the kitchen to prepare some tea for them. "It's bothering him that he's not allowed to go to school or his training. He'll be so glad to see you!"

Standing in the hallway and removing their wet coats and boots both men looked at each other. Cody shrugged and took off his glasses, cleaning them with his sleeve until he could see through them again. The cold weather always made them mist up and every time he entered a building he went almost completely blind because of it.

"He's upstairs in his room." Ellen's head appeared in the door and she smiled at them again. "I'll bring you some tea and snacks later on."

Passing by at the living room the two boys greeted Evan's father and went upstairs to Evan's room. "She's a nice woman", Cody said as they climbed the stairs. "My mother's quite busy. Sometimes she stays in her office till late and Dad has to make dinner..." He grimaced which let Mason assume that Mr. Rhodes wasn't the most blessed cook in town. He, on the other hand, decided to keep silent about his family, especially his non-at-all-caring mother. She had always blamed all misfortune on her children. Mason, because he was too similar to his father, who had left the family when he had been five years old, and Marysa for looking like the young bimbo their father ran away with. She even blamed young Maria because she had been a Caesarean delivery and 'ruined her hitherto perfect figure'.

He was extracted from his thoughts as they arrived in front of Evan's room and Cody knocked. "Come in", a muffled voice answered from inside and they entered. "Hey guys! Good to see you!", the young boy shouted. He was sitting on a small sofa, playing some games on his playstation. As he saw his friends his face lightened up and he paused his game, putting away the pad. He wanted to stand up but the others indicated that he should remain seated.

"I made some notes for you", Cody said and placed his pile of papers on Evan's desk.

"Wow... that's great... Thank you, I guess...", Evan fake-cheered and earned a stern look from Cody.

"I know, it's important to keep track." The small boy raised his hands in an apologetic manner. "To be exact, I miss school. I have to stay home for another week and then it's Christmas break... It's sooo boring to stay home all day." Evan sighed.

Mason sat down next to him, giving him an understanding look.

"Well, after Christmas you'll be back", Cody tried to cheer him up. "And during the break you can still hang out with us again!"

Evan smiled and Cody was pleased that he could pep up his friend. "And up to then you can still rehearse all the stuff." He put his hand on the papers and Evan's smile vanished in consideration of all the work laying on his desk thanks to his friend and classmate.

"Daniel said that your biology teacher sends her regards", Mason said and Evan felt his heart jumping a little bit. Sitting next to his tall friend made his face warm up and he felt the small hair on his arms raising. "That's nice", he mumbled and looked away.

Cody raised an eyebrow at the sight of his two friends. He had always guessed that something had to be true about the rumours about Evan and now it somehow seemed as if the small swimmer had a crush on Mason. He hasn't told anyone yet about his assumption and sometimes he felt really silly thinking such things but then again... He shook his head. 'As long as you don't know for sure you should keep your mouth shut', he told himself and shook off the thought. Either way, it was none of his business.

A knock on the door made them all look up. Evan's mother entered, carrying a tray with three cups, a jug and a plate with cookies. "That's very nice, Mrs. Bourne, but I think I gotta go", Cody said as the woman placed the plate on the desk.

"Oh, what a shame", the woman said and by looking at Mason she added: "But you'll stay for dinner, won't you?" The man nodded and happy again she left the room.

"Well then", Cody said. "I got some studying to do and I recommend that you two have a look at the books, too, instead of wasting your time playing video games all evening." He gave both of them a stern look.

Two hours later, Evan and Mason were back up in Evan's room. The young boy was laying on his bed, rubbing his belly. "Your mom's awesome!", Mason stated. He was sitting on the sofa, completely stuffed.

"Okay boys", Evan's father said as he entered the room. "We'll go then."

"Say that they can call us anytime, Robert", Evan's mother whispered from the hallway.

"Darling, we agreed that Mason will spend the night here so we can go out, remember", Mr. Bourne tried to assure his wife.

"But what if..."

"They're old enough, Ellen, don't you think?"

Ellen entered the room and gave Evan a worried look. "If you need anything.."

"... I'll send my humble slave", Evan ended her sentence, giving Mason a deceitful smirk.

"Okay, as I said, we'll go then!" Mr. Bourne took his wife by the hand and soon they heard a car in the driveway.

"Alone at last", Evan said. He slowly got up and went over to the sofa, letting himself fall into the cushion next to his friend.

"Wanna see a movie?", Mason asked but Evan shook his head. "It's not often that we are alone", he said, placing a soft kiss on Mason's cheek. "And what do you want to do then?", the taller man asked, puzzled. "I'll think of something", Evan said, demanding a kiss by pointing to his face.

Mason bent down to kiss his friend but he recoiled as Evan flinched under his touch. "It still hurts, right?" Concerned he cupped Evan's face in his hands, running his fingers over the cut that was still visible on the smaller one's forehead. "You just touched the sore spot on my lip", he quietly replied. Mason kissed him again, avoiding the left side of Evan's mouth to avoid causing him more pain.

"Those dickheads", he whispered, pulling Evan closer. "You still don't know who they were?"

Evan shook his head. "I haven't seen them before. But they were after me, they knew my name..." He shuddered and laid his head against Mason's shoulder.

"If I get hold of them I swear...", Mason growled and clenched his fists. "Me and the guys will beat the living shit out of them!"

Evan laughed softly.

"I'm serious", he growled again and put his arm around Evan. The presence of his little friend calmed him down but his anger didn't vanish completely. It won't until he actually did sent those strangers to hospital.

"I know you are", Evan said, still smiling. He climbed onto Mason's lab and crossed his hands behind his broad neck. "Thank you", he whispered and hid his head at Mason's neck. The strong man placed a hand on Evan's back and the other on the back of his head. He closed his eyes, inhaling the light and pleasant smell of the younger man. For some time neither of them moved or spoke. Mason began to stroke Evan's back, sliding his hand under the other one's shirt. Evan chuckled as the cold hand touched his skin.

Mason's other hand found its way down to Evan's back, too. Feeling the light weight of the small body on his he went on caressing his younger friend's back and sides. Evan set upright, placing his hands on Mason's shoulders and kissing him. At first his kisses were soft and somewhat shy, but soon they became more demanding.

Mason ruck up his shirt and sent some shivers down Evan's spine. His motions became more rough and suddenly Evan let out a little cry as he brushed over his injured ribs too harsh. "I'm sorry", Mason said. "I should be more careful."

"Maybe...", Evan began and his head turned red. Curious Mason looked into his deep blue eyes. "Maybe we should go on somewhere... more... comfortable", he whispered, feeling a strange heat building up inside his body. Mason looked at him for what felt like a very long time. Then, he nodded.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Well, what so you think?_


	5. Waking up with braver hearts

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings in this chapter:** sexual content, strong language

**A/N:** I get the impression that I picked a quite unusual pairing... But I'll keep writing nevertheless 'cause it's fun :)

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><p><strong>V. - Waking up with braver hearts<strong>

Evan woke up, his head feeling as if someone had played football with it. Blindly he felt for his pills and the glass of water that was usually standing on his night stand. He sat up, taking his medicine and with a sigh he sank back into the pillows. Listening to the steady breathing of his friend over at the sofa, he couldn't help but thinking about what happened the evening before.

* * *

><p>Mason let him over to his bed, placing him carefully on the soft cushion. Climbing over him the taller boy started kissing him, softly and careful, while stroking his sides and removing his shirt. It felt so good, so real. Evan closed his eyes, concentrating on the other one's hands and lips exploring his body. Mason's hands were cold and smooth and he enjoyed being that intimate with him.<p>

But suddenly Mason's hands travelled down Evan's sides, crossing the secure line of his waistband. He stopped breathing, feeling this strong hands massaging his thighs. Thoughts that he had buried deep within his mind evoke from the depth of denial and suddenly he felt very uncomfortable.

Thanks to the internet and other media he had heard and seen a lot about the sexual intercourse between two men, but the sudden thought of being involved in something like that frightened him. He liked Mason, a lot, but the fear of being extradited to a man that was several times taller and stronger than him filled him with alarm.

Mason recognized that he tensed. He placed a hand under Evan's chin, forcing the younger man to look into his eyes. The sheer panic that must have been displayed in his widened eyes made him pause his actions. He laid down next to Evan and moved away a bit to give him some space, still holding his chin in his hand, stroking it with his thumb.

"Did I hurt you again?", he asked him with the soft voice Evan adored so much and he shook his head in return.

"I... I'm afraid", he mumbled, trying to look away but Mason held his head in place. "Up to now it had just been hugging and kissing and nothing more. It... it was somehow quite surreal. But this..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "... this is serious!"

"I know", Mason whispered as if he was afraid of frightening the boy even more if he'd speak too loudly.

"This is not a game or something", Evan continued. He talked merely to himself, expressing his doubts and fears which he had held locked inside him since their first kiss on all Hallow's Eve. "It was kinda innocent up to now. Some experiment. But this... it could change everything! Everything!"

His breath was racing and looking into Mason's dark eyes almost caused him physical pain. But the other man remained calm, even though Evan was shouting.

"I know", he repeated. "I know what you're thinking. I've been through this, too. Thinking about what would happen if somebody found out. How my sisters or people in school would react." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But for what it's worth I'm willing to risk it. I know that we have to keep things secret, even from our friends and family, but I can handle that if it means that I can be with you."

Evan blushed unintentionally. He had never expected Mason saying such things, especially not to him. He remembered that he couldn't help but start chuckling until he burst out in nervous laughter. He still didn't know why, but the thought of Mason being afraid of someone bullying him was too comical. The older one gave him a strange look and he stopped immediately.

"I'm sorry, this is not the time to laugh", he apologized, feeling utterly stupid for behaving like that. He was still quite nervous. "Just moments ago I was so sure about this, us. But now... I feel silly, I'm sorry." To show Mason that he really was sorry he moved closer again, minimizing the space between them.

Mason took him back into his arms and he placed his head against the warm chest of his friend. They remained like this for some time and Evan sensed that Mason didn't dare to touch him because of his words. "It's okay", he suddenly said, muttering into Masons shirt. "I trust you." He still didn't quite believe his own words but he hoped that Mason wouldn't hear that his voice was still shaking.

But of course he did. Mason wasn't the brightest one when it came to school and grades. He was a rather down-to-earth man and his intelligence was based on analysing social situations and a good insight into human nature.

"If you want me to stop, just say so and I will", he said and placed a soft kiss on Evan's temple.

Everything he did from then on made Evan feel even more stupid for misjudging his friend. He was stroking his sides and hair, caressing his neck and shoulders and even though his contingencies were cautious and gentle Evan felt the controlled strength that was behind his motions. The doubts and fear vanished slowly and he completely devoted himself to Mason's goodwill.

As soon as Mason recognized that the tension left the smaller boy's body his movements became more courageous. Slowly he moved his hands further down, trailing his fingernails down Evan's back and sending shivers up and down the younger one's spine. He placed one hand on Evan's backside, waiting for the smaller one to react. At first, Evan stiffened again, but soon he started to enjoy the feeling of Mason massaging his bottom.

Mason was holding his breath as he once again climbed over his friend, guiding his hands towards the waistband of Evan's jeans. He opened the button and while he covered Evan's face with soft pecks he pulled down the zipper. Evan stopped him before he was able remove his pants entirely. "Turn off the lights", he whispered into Mason's ear and the taller man was willing to accommodate his request.

Before returning to bed Mason took of his shirt. In the dim light a street lamp cast into Evan's room Mason's skin looked pale, almost white. He couldn't help but stare at his friend in awe. His muscles had looked impressive under the tight shirts Mason used to wear and by hugging him Evan had felt the strong upper body of his friend numerous times, pressed against his own. But seeing him like that made him realize how ripped he really was. And he felt week. Compared to Mason he was still a little kid, slender and fragile.

Mason didn't seem to suspect any of Evan's thoughts. He returned to what he had been doing before, grabbing Evan's pants to pull them down. He knelt over him and Evan blushed, trying to hide his face behind his hands as he felt Mason removing the last piece of clothing that had shielded him from being completely naked.

"Let me see your face", Mason whispered, taking Evan's hands and holding them tight against his bare chest. "No need to be shy." Mason leaned back, still holding Evan's wrists with one of his hands, examining the quivering body of his young friend. "You're beautiful", he whispered and the sincerity in his eyes stopped Evan from laughing at his words. He didn't consider himself being attractive, let alone beautiful, but Mason seemed to be so serious that he couldn't help but believe his words.

He felt all his blood gathering together in his head. He could swear that it must have been glowing in the darkness. All of a sudden he felt the urge to be closer to Mason, closer than ever, and as the older boy slit his free hand down his naked chest, touching the sensitive spots just above Evan's pelvic bone, he pulled himself up the let his lips meet up with Mason's.

He cast off his self doubts and sorrows and, putting all his passion behind the kiss, forced Mason to do so alike. Willingly Evan opened his lips and allowed Mason to slip his tongue in. It was the first time they kissed like that and for Evan it was literally breathtaking. When they broke the kiss he had to catch his breath.

"I can stop at any time", Mason reminded him, but at that time Evan had reached the point of no return. He wanted anything, anything Mason could possibly give and do to him. Thinking back, Evan was very relieved that the taller one had demonstrated common sense and hadn't gone all the way.

He flinched under Mason's touch and when he touched the taller one's leg with his he felt how all the blood escaped his head, rushing down his body, gathering at a totally different part. Mason noticed his arousal and, still kissing him, he focused his attention on Evan's half-erected member.

Again, Evan had to gasp for air. He felt that strong hand embracing his pulsating flesh and a long moan escaped his lungs, filled with desire and longing. Dazzling points of light were dancing in front of his eyes and he had to close his eyes in order to keep himself from loosing his mind. He freed his arms, digging his fingers in his blanket as the strong man leaned in and started stroking his cock. He knew that he couldn't stand it for long. Arching his back he moaned and whimpered, and thrusted his hips towards the hand that was promising him pleasure and relief.

When he felt that tight feeling in his stomach that always meant that he was close to getting off, he wrapped his arms around Mason's neck, pulling himself up and pressing his hot and sweating body against his friend's. He ran his fingers over Mason's shoulders and neck, clawing him as he came even closer to the end. His demanding mouth found Mason's and, driving the tall man into a deep and lustful kiss, he came.

Mason was still kneeling above him, one hand still caressing his member and carrying their combined weight on his other arm and knees. Only when Evan became aware of the metallic and warm taste in his mouth he broke the kiss. Mason lowered him down and as Evan opened his eyes he saw him rubbing his lower lip.

"You're a biter", Mason declared, wiping away a thin trickle of blood.

"I'm sorry", had been everything Evan was able to reply before he sank into an exhausted and deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Evan blushed thinking about that. He was still quite startled about what they had done. Not sure if he was able to look into Mason's eyes after all that, he sat up on his elbows to cast a glance at his sleeping friend. The tall man must have gotten up after he had fallen asleep to sleep on the sofa just in case Evan's parents would have wanted to check in on them after their return.<p>

His ribs protested against his movements. He had totally forgotten about his injuries thanks to the ecstasy of their encounter, but his ribs did their best to remind him that he in fact had been badly wounded. Sighing he sank back into the pillows, running his hands over his bare chest and staring at the ceiling.

"Good morning, little one", he heard Mason's sleepy voice from across the room and his bed shook slightly as the tall man approached with slow and clumsy footsteps. He turned his head and saw his lover kneeling beside his bed, his unshaven head resting on his crossed arms, his half closed eyes laying behind a curtain of black hair.

His lover?

The new thought startled him. He felt like a pervert thinking about them like that. But at the sight of Mason yawning, exposing two rows of perfectly white teeth in the process, he couldn't help but smile. How could anything be wrong about this? It felt so wonderful. His headache vanished and with his friend and new found lover at his side he felt that everything would turn out all right.

* * *

><p>The following Monday was December 24th, their last day of school before two weeks of not having to worry about homework, assignments and unannounced tests. Of course Evan's misfortune had spread among the students and teaching staff and because it was Christmas the headmaster decided to have a little school meeting before dismissing them. Many rows of chairs had been arrayed in the cafeteria, all facing towards a small stage and every student, no exception, had to participate.<p>

"This is pretty important for the old man, isn't it", Daniel mumbled when headmaster Fliehr climbed the small staircase and took place behind a lectern. He was sitting between Phil and Wade, hoping that the speech the old man had prepared wouldn't be too long.

Contrary to his hopes the aged headmaster went on elaborating about violence among teenagers and young adults, their responsibility of reporting any abuse they witnessed, demonstrating civil courage and, of course, about taking care on their ways home. The speech was exhausting, but somehow the old man managed to get them all quiet for one hour and a half.

"Boooooring!", Phil exclaimed as the small group exited the building, standing on a bed of newly fallen snow. "Indeed", Sheamus agreed. "And he didn't waste any word about who the attackers were and about their motivation."

"They still don't know", Cody enlightened the Irish-born. "Evan's parents pressed charges but the police still didn't find anyone fitting Evan's descriptions."

They all fell silent as a large crowd of people stepped out of the building. Phil growled as he spotted Orton being the leader of the chatty crowd. As soon as the tall football player saw them he started laughing.

"So we had to waste our precious time in there, listening to the lame babbling of a senile old fart, just because someone finally managed to beat the shit out of that little faggot?", he said loud enough that the boys could understand every single word. "I would've done it myself if I hadn't been afraid of getting infected with queerness."

They couldn't believe what they just heard. "Tell that to my face, motherfucker!", Phil shouted, which made the tanned jock laugh even harder.

"Your little friend is a male pussy that deserves every punishment _it_ could get", Orton went on teasing them.

Anger spread among the group. Phil, Daniel and Wade started cursing and calling the other boy names while Sheamus placed a hand on Mason's arm in order to calm down his taller friend. Cody stood behind them, considering to call a teacher to prevent an unfriendly encounter. He sensed that it was too late for that as he saw Orton and some of his equally tall and beefy team mates coming closer.

"Dare saying that again, you fucking asshole, and I'll kick your butt until your nose bleeds!", Phil screamed from the top of his voice, taking of his jacket and throwing it away.

"Watch your mouth, Punk", the jock hissed. "I can tell the truth whenever I feel like it!"

"Come at me and I'll show you some truth!", Wade growled, rolling up the sleeves of his hoodie. "If you ever dare saying something like that about our friend ever again...", Sheamus said, stepping next to his English friend, "... I'll show you how we used to handle things back in Ireland!" He rubbed his knuckles and straightened his shoulders.

"Oh my god, you're actually threatening me. I'm shivering", Orton said in a mocking voice. He brought his face closer to Phil's who was watching the taller boy with vigilant eyes. "Know what?", the jock hissed. "I bet the whole school would fuck that cunt's slutty ass if it wouldn't be that disgusting!" He spat out the words, looking challenging into Phil's eyes.

"You fucking bastard!", the tattooed man yelled, punching the football player right into the face. As if that had been a signal for them, the other jocks assailed Phil. Hell was braking loose as Wade, Mason and Sheamus joined their friend and started to take their anger out on the athletes. Daniel encouraged them and screamed at the curious crowd that gathered in a safe distance.

"Stop that!", Cody yelled, but the fighting men didn't listen to him. "For fuck's sake, stop that or I'll get a teacher!", he yelled again, pulling at Wade's hood and dragging the choking boy away from the jock he had been hitting while kneeling above him. "Do y'all wanna get suspended?"

His last words proofed to have some impact on the raging crowd and slowly they departed, carefully watching each other, ready to fight whenever someone on the other side made a move.

"You'll regret that!", Orton snarled, wiping away some blood from his chin.

"I don't think so!", Phil snapped, presenting his middle finger. But instead of reacting to that, Orton gave him a hateful glance before walking away with his team mates. "Yeah, run away, you filthy son of a bi..."

"Phil!", Cody snapped. "It's over, stop it!"

It started snowing and the boys just stood there, gazing after Orton and his bunch of idiots.

* * *

><p>Randy was standing in front of a mirror in the men's restroom, wiping away the blood that kept flowing from his nose. That inked and bigmouthed asshole and his bunch of freaks would pay for hitting him! He growled and slammed his hands against the cold porcelain of the sink.<p>

"You look awful. That loser hit you pretty hard."

The sudden voice made Randy jump. He turned around. A blonde boy was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed in front of his chest and looking at Randy with arrogant and mocking eyes.

"What do you want, Mizanin?", he asked, turning around to watch himself in the mirror again.

"I just witnessed your little... clash with Brooks and his friends and I have to say: they beat you up pretty badly." He took a step into the tiled room, positioning himself behind the football player so he could look at him through the reflection of the mirror.

"Why don't _you_ punch him next time you see him", the jock suggested angrily and earned a sarcastic laugh from the smaller man.

"I don't get my hands dirty, I have people that do stuff like that for me", he smirked. "But I'm not here to give you advise on how to win a fight with that scum. You know, I hate them just as much as you do, and I can't think of anything worse than graduating with those losers. But I'm not that, if you'll pardon the expression, foolish to assume that I could get rid of them by teasing them and having a fight."

Randy turned around to face the blonde boy. "What do you have in mind?", he asked, getting curious about what that rich mother's boy might have up his sleeve. Mike smiled. Up to now everything went according to his plan.

* * *

><p><em>AN: The mysterious blonde boy finally revealed his identity! Did you recognize who's the headmaster? ;)_  
><em>On another note: I'm thinking of adding a little "bonus story" about Sheamus and Wade to one of the chapters. What do you think?<em>  
><em>Well, as always, comments and suggestions are ALWAYS appreciated.<em>


	6. Wait for nights to come

**Titel: **Into better days**  
>Rating: <strong>rated M**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.**  
>Pairing(s): <strong>Mason/Evan

**Summary: **High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings in this chapter:** sexual content, strong language

**A/N:** Wow, sorry for not updating in such a long time but I had a lot to do for work and university and I wanted the chapter to be long and good and not just some hundred words... Anyways, THANKS SO MUCH for the comments and here we go:

* * *

><p><strong>VI. - Wait for nights to come<strong>

"But Moooooom! It's Saturday evening!" Evan was sitting at the breakfast table, protestingly ignoring his bowl of cereal.

"You're not going to a concert after what happened!", his mother replied. "Who knows who will be there. Plus, you're still injured and you shouldn't dance around in some club in the middle of a crowd like that."

"But Mom, my friends will be there. They're the ones playing. I _have_ to see them!" Evan wasn't willing to give up, but he knew that it was a hard piece of work to convince his over protecting mother. Since he had been assailed she had been worse than ever. "I'll stay out of the crowd... I... erm... The boys will be there so nothing like that will happen. You know Mason. He's a... he's big and strong. And I swear, Wade and Sheamus are almost alike. And... and... no alcohol... of course!"

The minute he uttered the words he regretted them. "Of course you're not going to drink alcohol! You're underage!", his mother said shocked. The look on her face made his father burst out into laughter. "Ellen, let him go", he said smiling. He took her hand into his, giving Evan an encouraging look. "We can't shepherd him forever. Just let him go."

The soft tone of his father's voice made Ellen's eyes fill with tears. Sighing she asked: "Where's this concert at?"

"It's a small club at the edge of the neighbourhood. But...", he added as her eyes started to widen again. "It's very close to Mason's house. I can crash there plus I'd have company on my way home!"

Defeated his mother shook her head. "Okay, darling, you can go. But be careful and I want you to be home by tomorrow afternoon!"

Evan squealed in excitement. He leapt to his feet and hugged his mother, then his father.

* * *

><p>It was loud and crowded and hot. People of their age and young adults were dancing, chatting, laughing, drinking beer and other kinds of alcohol. The music was loud and good and the atmosphere was plain awesome.<br>Evan enjoyed the feel of the small club. Phil had instructed them how to dress and behave in a club like this and despite some initial doubts he felt quite comfortable. He and Mason were dressed in black and Mason even tried to copy Phils gelled hair style. He had failed horribly but it still looked good on him. They still differed from the crowd with their studded clothes, multicoloured hair and heavy boots, but in Evan's opinion they blended in quite fine.

He and Mason were standing at the side of the stage, a bit offside the partying crowd. He had tried to convince Mason to join them, standing right in front of the stage, dancing, headbanging and trying to sing along with the band. But Mason had been relentless and even though it annoyed Evan to not be able to be in the thick of it he was happy about Mason's concern. At least the older boy hadn't said anything when he had ordered himself a beer.

The gig was impressive. Daniel had worried a lot about their charisma on stage but watching them play Evan knew that his concerns had been unnecessary. He had heard them numerous time when they were practising but their performance on stage was even more overwhelming. The lights, the acoustic in the club, they almost conveyed a feeling of being professional musicians. He was especially impressed by Phil's passion. He was standing there in the middle of the stage, the microphone in one hand, the stand in the other, singing and shouting as if he was born to do that. He couldn't help but staring at them and feeling a bit proud that he was one of their friends.

After the gig the four boys joined them. "You've been awesome!", Evan shouted to drown out the noise and Daniel beamed at him. The young bearded boy couldn't stop grinning from one ear to the other and started to overtext Evan with his own impressions of their gig.

"Have you seen Cody?", Sheamus asked Mason. "He promised to come."

Mason nodded. "He was over at the entrance when we arrived. But he wasn't alone." He gave the Irish-born a knowing smile.

"A girl", Sheamus laughed, patting Mason on the shoulder. "Finally his virgin days seem to be over."  
>The night was fun. The friends were drinking and joking together, listening to the other bands and having a great time overall. Some hours and beers later Evan decided that he wanted to go outside to get some fresh air. He took Mason by the arm and dragged him outside. The air was chilly and snow was still laying on the streets and roofs. Both boys forgot their jackets inside but the amount of alcohol both of them indulged in made them forget about the low temperatures and frosty wind.<p>

Evan took a deep breath, running ahead of Mason who was still holding his half emptied glass. "The air!", the younger boy yelled and turned around to face his friend. "It's good to be outta there. So many people, alcohol, the air in there is horrible!" Mason just nodded and closed up to him.

"How you feelin'?", he asked, his tongue quite heavy from the booze he drank.

"Awesome!", Evan exclaimed. His head was light and he felt plain great. The party had been great so far, he had a great time with his great friends... everything was great! He got lost thinking that great was a strange word, repeating it over and over and over in his head until he felt Mason's hand on his shoulder. "I might be a little drunk", he told his friend who started laughing in return.

"Obviously", Mason snorted, emptying his glass.

"I blame the bartender. I shouldn't be allowed to drink."

"Well, actually we aren't allowed to drink", Mason informed him. Evan stared at him with big eyes. "I totally forgot about that", he stated and started to giggle. Suddenly a thought struck him. "Kiss me!", he demanded, coming up close to Mason and tiptoeing to be a bit taller.

"Here?", the taller boy asked, looking around as if someone could approach them at any time.

"Damnit", Evan mumbled and once again grabbed his friend by the arm, dragging him into a nearby alley. His legs almost moved on their own and he felt his heart beating hard against his chest. He had drunk beer a couple of times before, but he was drunk for the first time and it made him more courageous. He blended out his surroundings, the only thought controlling him being the need to be close to his big friend.

When they were standing in the dim darkness of the dark side street Evan repeated his request. This time Mason was eager to do so. He seized the small boy by his shoulders, pressing him against the brick wall and kissing him passionately. Soon he let go of Evan's shoulders. His hands wandered down and as he got hold of Evan's hips he drew him closer. The young swimmer took the chance and wrapped his arms around Mason's neck. They broke the kiss for a short time that enabled them both to breath before diving into another passionate kiss.

"Fucking smoke-free regulations!"

An all too familiar voice startled them. They heard shuffling footsteps converging the alley. Before they could react Daniel turned around the corner. A cigarette was hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth. He took some steps into the darkness. Then he turned to face the wall, bracing himself against it with one arm and meddling with his zipper. With a relieved sigh he took a leak, sucking at his cigarette and emitting a faint puff of smoke.  
>The two boys didn't dare to move. They didn't want Daniel to notice them.<p>

After some moments that felt like hours for them Daniel closed his zipper, still mumbling to himself, and got ready to leave. But suddenly he paused his steps and turned around, very slowly. A hissed "Shit!" escaped Mason as the bearded boy looked straight at the still embraced couple. His eyes grew bigger. "The fuck!", Daniel exclaimed as Mason let go of Evan. The tall boy took a few great steps and reached Daniel, grabbing the boy by the collar and dragging him back into the darkness of the alley.

"What the fuck?", the boy yelled as Mason pushed him against the side of a dumpster. He looked at Mason who held his hands up in an apologetic manner while Evan was standing beside him, hiding his face in his hands.

"Why are you so rude?", Daniel slurred and gave Mason an angry look. "You didn't have to push me!"

Evan's head cleared. The shock of being caught by one of their friends made them become sober in an instant. "I'm sorry", Mason mumbled. Before Daniel could say anything Evan started talking.

"Daniel, listen, you can't tell anyone! Please!" He took a step closer to the boy. "This must remain secret, nobody mustn't know about Mason and me!" He locked eyes with Daniel who looked back with his glazed eyes half shut. He took a drag of his cigarette. "You mustn't tell anyone what you just saw!", Evan pleaded again.

Daniel raised his hand and Evan fell silent. "The rumours are true then?", Daniel asked after a moment of silence. "You are gay? And Mason, too? And you two have a thing or whatever?" He shook his head and made a painful face afterwards. "My head's killing me", he mumbled.

"Daniel! Please, promise you won't tell anyone!" Evan took his friend's hands into his. "Please!", he added.  
>"Don't panic. I'm drunk as fuck. I might've forgot all about that tomorrow", Daniel stated, holding his head. Suddenly, a jolt hit him and he pressed his hands against his mouth, dropping his cigarette. He turned around, bent down, and emptied his stomach contents against the dumpster.<p>

"Daniel", Evan exclaimed and knelt down beside his friend, rubbing his back. "He doesn't look good", he said to Mason, a concerned look on his face. "I think we should take him home. He drank way to much."

Slowly, Mason woke up from his stiffness. He looked at Daniels arched back, watching him shivering and delivering a new load from his stomach. "I'll get our jackets and tell the others", he decided and headed back inside the club.

Back inside he looked around for his friends. His height made it quite easy to look above people's heads and he soon spotted Phil near the bar. He fought his way through the crowd and by the time he reached Phil approximately three people had spilled their drinks on his bare arms and shirt.

"It's awfully crowded, isn't it?", Phil shouted as he noticed Mason standing beside him. The tall boy just nodded, looking around for the other two members of the band. He spotted them standing next to each other. "They're having a drinking battle", Phil explained as he followed Mason's gaze. "Wade claimed that he can drink much more than Sheamus and our Irish boy said that he could outdrink him and since then they're standing there, drinking one whiskey after another..." He shook his head. "By the way, where have you been?"

"We're leaving", the tall boy replied, grabbing his and Evan's jacket from a stool next to Phil. "Daniel threw up in a nearby alley, we'll take him home."

"See, that's why I don't drink", Phil noted, handing him Daniel's jacket and scarf. They hugged each other and Mason waved at the two drinking boys. On his way out he spotted Cody in the crowd. He was hugging a blonde girl, swinging slowly from side to side. When he saw Mason he grinned at him, pointing at the back of the girl. Mason smiled back, giving him a thumbs up and waving good-bye.

Back in the alley the two friends struggled to get Daniel into his jacket. Evan was relieved that his strong friend was back. He hasn't been able to do anything but saying an occasional "There, there" to Daniel. At least Mason was able to get him to his feet and hold him so Evan could put his jacket and scarf on.

"I don't think he can walk all the way, it's quite a distance", Evan remarked, looking at Daniel who was hanging saggy in Mason's arms. Therefore, Mason placed the limp arms of the boy around his neck and lifted him up to carry him on his back.

"I swear, if he vomits on me I'll throw him into the next ditch!"

Evan gave him a compassionate look and they set out for the Bryan's house.

* * *

><p>It took them about one hour to reach their destination. Contrary to Mason's worries Daniel kept calm and he didn't have to abandon him in some random alleyway. Standing in front of the Bryan's door they didn't know how to get in.<p>

"He must have his keys somewhere", Mason suggested, putting Daniel down and holding him in place. Evan blushed as he started to search through several of Daniel's pockets. For him it still was a huge difference between being intimate with Mason and touching another one of his male friends. Finally he found the key ring and on the second try he was able to open the door.

Mason lifted Daniel up again and they entered the dark and quiet house. "I haven't been here", Evan whispered. "Where's his room?"

"I have no idea", Mason replied, shaking the man on his back a little bit. "Dude, where's your room?", he asked when Daniel opened his eyes.

"Upstairs... second on the... right", Daniel mumbled and Evan thanked god that the drunken boy chose to be quiet instead of yelling. They got up the stairs and entered the room Daniel had mentioned, hoping that it really was his room rather then his parents' bedroom. The light from outside the window reviled a very untidy room with clothes and school supplies laying all over the floor. If the mess wouldn't have been an indication of the resident of the room, the posters of half-naked girls and a quite impressive collection of batman merchandise did.

Mason placed Daniel on his bed who instantly grabbed his pillow. They removed his jacket and shoes and put the blanket over him.

"I guess we're done", Evan whispered as he placed Daniel's keys and wallet on the nightstand. Quietly they left the room and went down the stairs.

"Thanks for bringing him back."

The deep voice made them turn around in shock. A tall, blonde man was standing in a door frame. Clearly it must have been Daniel's father, they looked very alike. The even seemed to share the aversion against razors. The sight of the smile on Mr. Bryans face made them relax again.

"I'm glad he has some friends that show some more sense than he. Can I offer you anything? A coke or a sandwich?"

Thankfully they both nodded and followed him into the kitchen. About 30 minutes later they left the Bryan's home, not without some new insight on Daniel's family background. Both his parents were working at a hospital and had barely time for their son. They loved him and tried to grant him any wish but they still missed spending more time with him.

Mason sighed. He had wrapped one arm around Evan's shoulder as they were walking through the chilly morning. Once again he was jealous of his friend's for having such loving and caring families. Phil had his father, Evan's parents were just awesome, Sheamus' mother seemed to be very caring and lovable and Daniel's father was unnaturally sympathetic and kind.

He looked down at his younger friend and a smile worked its way through his bitter countenance. His mother might be a real bitch, but he had absolutely no reason to complain!

* * *

><p>Some hours ago...<p>

Sheamus needed five tries to open the front door. Laughing he and Wade stumbled into the hallway. They had been drinking a lot at the club and when Phil left they decided to go home, too. Sheamus had invited Wade to come to his house since his parents were on a New Year's trip to Ireland and hadn't returned yet. The prospect of some more, and most of all free, alcohol had convinced the Englishman.

"Okay, so where's the alcohol?", Wade asked and threw his coat on the ground. Sheamus was sitting on the first step of the staircase, struggling to take his shoes of. Laughing he stood up and staggered into the living room. Just a heartbeat after he disappeared behind a corner he reappeared with two bottles in his arms.

"Let's go upstairs, whaddaya say?"

Wade grinned, showing two rows of white teeth. He followed the redhead who went straight into his room. Sheamus handed his friend the bottles and jumped onto his bed, once again trying to open his shoelaces. This time he succeeded and kicked his shoes across the room.

Wade eyed the bottles and his face lit up. Whiskey! Jackpot! He opened the bottle and took a large swig. He passed it on to Sheamus and within minutes they emptied one bottle and half of the other one. By this time both men were sitting back to back in the middle of Sheamus' room, laughing and babbling nonsense.

"Gimme some", Sheamus demanded leaning against the broad back of his friend and reaching out to get the bottle. "Nope", the Englishman responded, taking another swig.

"Gimme!", Sheamus repeated angrily.

"Come and get it!"

Wade got up, quicker than Sheamus expected him to, holding the bottle above his head. "Bloody bastard!", the Irishman snorted and also got up. With clumsy steps he walked towards Wade who looked at him with his signature arrogant grin. "I'll wipe that smile from yer face!"

But before Sheamus got too close Wade ducked away and pushed Sheamus against the wall. The redhead turned around, anger displayed in his glazed eyes. Wade pressed his body against the smaller one and looked him into the eyes. "If you want it so badly, I'll give yer some", he smirked and before Sheamus knew what was happening he kissed him.

At first, Sheamus tried to protest, stemming his arms against Wades chest, but the taller man was too strong. After a short struggle the redhead gave up. Wade welcomed the surrender, pressing him against the wall even harder. His tongue found its way into Sheamus' mouth, playing with smaller one's in a wild and passionate manner. While kissing him he threw away Sheamus' cap and started to unbutton his shirt.

It didn't take them long to end up kneeling next to each other on the floor, wearing their pants only. Breathing heavily Wade crawled away from Sheamus, feeling for the crushed package of cigarettes in his back pocket. "You don't mind?", he asked and when Sheamus shook his head he lit up a cigarette. He sighed when the soothing smoke filled his lunges. He watched the redhead get up and followed him with his eyes.

"For the ashes", he mumbled and threw an empty plastic bowl at Wade. Then he sat on his bed eyeing the English-born with glazed and half-closed eyes. He was drunk, very drunk, and Wade knew that. But he wasn't better off. His head felt empty, as if the only thing inside it was the smoke from his cigarette. A smug smirk appeared on his face. Somehow, every time he got drunk he got extremely horny, too. Following his feelings he joined the redhead on the bet, drawing him into another passionate kiss. Their motions were erratic and rougher than they intended but neither of the two men mind. They totally got carried away in the mood and enjoyed it.

Still smirking Wade started to unbutton Sheamus' jeans and pulled them down the other one's legs with one strong hitch. He smiled at what appeared underneath. The young Irishman had about the same figure than him and a look at his crotch convinced him that he was quite well-built there, too.

"Barrett?" The sound of his friend's familiar voice made him look up into his face. "Gimme some", the Irishman said, repeating his plea for alcohol from earlier on. But Wade knew that he wasn't talking about a bottle of Whiskey. He hadn't done this before and he didn't actually consider doing anything like that ever, but at that moment, neither of them was thinking straight. They just said and this what they wanted at that moment and at that moment, Wade was eager to give him the blowjob he demanded. His experience on doing that were non-existent, but he decided to do what he would like himself.

Pulling down Sheamus' underwear he first started to stroke the almost fully erected member. A moan signalized him that he wasn't doing to bad and he didn't think twice and placed his lips on the tip of Sheamus' cock. Slowly yet hungry he traced them up and down the hot flesh.

Sheamus moaned with relish. Looking down he could see his black haired friend hunched over his very own crotch and pleasing him with his otherwise quite sarcastic and mean mouth. He smiled and grabbed the almost empty bottle on his nightstand. He took a sip and when he wanted to replace the bottle he noticed his cellphone. He took a quick picture and when Wade looked up at the sound of the release he exchanged it with the bottle.

"I could need some of that", the English-born demanded pointing at the bottle.

Sheamus smiled. "An' ya deserve it", he responded and signalled him to crawl up to him. After Wade laid down next to him he began to pour some of the liquor into the black haired open mouth. Wade choked and coughed.

"Can't handle the good stuff", Sheamus smirked and emptied the bottle.

"Lets see if you can handle me!", the taller one responded angrily and climbed over Sheamus, pinning him into the cushion with his hands and knees. "You won't escape me!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Daniel knows! That means if he can remember in the morning..._  
><em>Also: my little bonus-story or at least the beginning of it. Never leave two drunken, horny boys alone, you never know what might happen. I swear, they will deeply regret everything when they wake up the next morning!<em>


	7. Step by step we march

**Title:** Into better days

**Rating: **rated M

**Disclaimer:** The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.

**Pairing(s):** Sheamus/Wade, Mason/Evan

**Summary:** High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings:** sexual content, strong language

**A/N:** OMG, I've been neglecting lately, I'm sooo sorry. University kept me busy but I'm still alive... ;)  
>And thanks to everyone that's still with me!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>VII. - Step by step we march <strong>

He felt the hot breath in his neck, strong arms holding him in place, tips of hair tickling on his back, sweat running down his spine.

Wade had delivered on his threat. He had turned him around to face his pillow, pinned him into the cushion, and he had to realize that there truly was no escape from the taller and surprisingly strong man. He had tried to fight against him, against the weight on his back and against his very own desires. Eventually, he gave up, and now he could feel Wade's hard cock inside him, thrusting into him, and giving him pain and pleasure at the same time.

His head was swirling and his mouth felt dry. He pressed his head into his pillows to make his room stop spinning. It was hot and he had the feeling that suddenly there wasn't enough air in there. He breathed heavily and bright spots started to dance in front of his eyes. Everything felt so unreal, like a dream.

Wade's hands clawed into his hips, his fingernails digging deep into the flesh. He heard a long and lustful moan, and after some moments he realized that he himself had produced the sound. The thrusting movements of his friend made his own member rub against the soft surface of his bedding, and he felt close to coming.

Wade was rough, not a least bit gentle, but he didn't mind. The vast amount of alcohol, and the heat of the moment left him in a state of total resignation. Whatever the taller yet a bit younger boy wanted to do to him, he agreed with it. He knew that if he would really try he could fight off the black haired boy. He could've stopped him from approaching him in the first place, but he actually didn't care. Therefore, he decided to make the best of it and enjoy the feeling of Wade dominating him, taking him.

With a relieved roar he came.

Moments afterwards he realized that the pressure on his body was gone. Wade desisted from him, panting and holding his head. He felt some warm and sticky liquid running down his lower back, but he was way too exhausted to waste any further thought on it. He rolled on his side, dragging his blanket over his body, and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Wade woke up with a major headache. He had a very nasty taste in his mouth and his throat felt like sandpaper. He sat up, digging his fingers into the blanket. Then, he opened his eyes, and... he didn't recognize the room. It wasn't his, for sure, but where else did he go after the gig? He looked around and noticed a messed up bunch of red hair laying next to him. A surprised yell escaped his sore lungs.<p>

Sheamus sleepily shook his head. He also suffered from a major headache. When he realised who was laying next to him a much more scared scream filled the room. He sat up and looked at Wade with big eyes. "What're you doin' here?", he asked and Wade shrugged. "Seems as if you dragged me off last night", the Englishman tried to make a joke, but Sheamus neither laughed nor showed a smile. He just sat there, staring at his friend as fragments of memories of the last night at the bar came to his mind.

Cautious he lifted the blanket and looked back at Wade with a suspicious expression. "Are ye... clothed?", he asked.

Wade was confused. "Why'd you ask?", he responded, peeking under the blanket himself. His eyes grew bigger when he looked back at his friend. Then, slowly, he shook his head.

"Bloody fucking hell!", Sheamus yelled, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed,turning his back at Wade. "Fuck!", he repeated, resting his aching head in his hands.

"Stop yelling and tell me what's wrong", Wade demanded, fighting back the urge to throw up. "What's your problem? We drank a lot yesterday and it seems that I didn't manage to go home and slept here, so what?"

Sheamus turned around, the pale skin of his face almost as red as his hair. "My butt hurts", he hissed between clenched teeth and suddenly Wade understood. His face turned bead red in an instant and he felt the urgent need to run away, flee the room. His stomach revolted and he closed his eyes to calm down a bit. His heart was racing, and he swallowed hard.

"I should go and we should never ever speak of it again!", the English-born decided and got up. He collected his clothes and got dressed while Sheamus remained seated on his bed, and avoided to look at him. "Lets just pretend that nothing happened, okay?", Wade asked and Sheamus finally looked up to face him. "We can't remember anyway so it's as if nothing has ever happened. As long as we behave normal, nothing has to change."

Slowly, Sheamus nodded, and got up. He wrapped the blanket around himself, and walked over to the window. He opened it, and fresh and cold air streamed into the room, chasing the smell of alcohol, smoke and sweat. "Alright", he finally said. "We were drunk. _Really_ drunk. Neither of us could think straight, and luckily we can't remember anything either. As soon as you leave my room, the house, nothing has happened!"

Wade nodded thankfully. He had been arguing and fighting with the Irishman a lot, but nevertheless he liked him very much. He didn't want to loose him as a friend, and he was glad that the redhead felt the same. Taking a deep breath he felt the feeling of sickness declining. While he put on his clothes Sheamus went back to his bed, sat down and took his phone.

As soon as Wade was dressed he went towards the door, hurrying to leave the night and whatever they had done behind. Sheamus called him back one last time, holding his phone out to the black haired boy. "Apparently, you gave me a blowjob..."

* * *

><p>At about the same time Sheamus and Wade were busy exploring each other's bodies, Evan and Mason arrived at the Ryan's house. The street lights were still on but the sky already began to brighten. Mason opened the door. Quiet and quickly they went upstairs and in his room. Knowingly, Mason locked the door behind them and when he turned around Evan already took off his clothes and snuggled down on his bed.<p>

Mason smiled. His small friend was indeed very tired, and at the time he crawled into the bed he heard him breathing low and steady. He tried to make himself comfortable but his bed was quite narrow, and he had to lift up Evan and placed him on his chest in order to lay down somewhat comfy. Evan laid on his arm with his full weight, and he knew that it would hurt terribly later on, but he himself was too tired to worry about that. Soon, he also fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning Mason's arm hurt like hell. When he woke up it was itching and feeling numb at the same time. But he didn't dare to move because he didn't want to wake Evan, who was still sleeping peacefully at his side. His room was icy and he could see his breath turn into a faint cloud before his mouth and nose. Carefully he pulled up his blanket, wrapping it tightly around the slender body of his little friend.

The tall boy was laying in his bed, staring at his plain ceiling for just a couple of minutes as movement next to him caught his attention. Evan sat up, freeing his arm which he instantly stretched and massaged. "I'm sorry", the sleepy boy muttered, rubbing his eyes. His eyes widened as he looked at his boyfriend. "It's freaking cold in here!", he exclaimed accusingly.

"I know", the taller one responded and got up. "I bet _she_ forgot to pay the bills _again_", he growled and hurried to get dressed while Evan watched him from his warm spot under the thick blanket.

"Your mother?", he asked. Mason looked back at him with his eyebrows raised. Evan understood. Mason hated to talk about his mother. In conversations he referred to her as '_she_' or '_the woman_' but he always tried to keep her out of the interests of his friends. Evan knew that his friend didn't think too high of her and from his visits he knew why.

On all the occasions he had been to the Ryan's house he had met her once. They had been sitting in the kitchen, watching Mason's sister Marysa preparing lunch and playing with little Maria when she had walked in... completely drunk. She hadn't been able to utter a proper sentence, and after some minutes she went to her room to sleep. Mason and Marysa had been totally embarrassed by her, and he had assured them that he didn't mind. But in fact he felt sorry for them.

"Let's get downstairs", Mason interrupted his thoughts and pointed at the door. "Hopefully it's warmer, and I have to check the thermostat."

Evan hurried to get dressed, struggling to get into his tight jeans while Mason patiently waited, one hand already on the doorhandle. When Evan was fully dressed the older one unlocked the door, and they went downstairs. Mason went straight into the kitchen where his sister was standing at the window, trying to warm herself in the afternoon's sun that shown into the room.

"You're up so soon?", she asked sarcastically but her warm smile betrayed her words. Mason kissed her on the cheek, and afterwards greeted his youngest sister, which was sitting at the table, drawing into one of her colouring books.

"I'll see what I can do about the cold", Mason announced and, addressing Evan, added: "Help yourself. There must be some cereals in the top drawers."

"I'm sorry we can't offer you anything special", Marysa apologized after Mason left the room. "It's all we have left. I have to go shopping tomorrow."

"It's okay", Evan said. "I'm not that hungry."

Actually, that was a lie. He was starving but he didn't want to take something Mason's family needed for themselves. He knew that, as soon as he got home, his mother would prepare something delicious for dinner, and up to then he decided to wait. He sat down next to Maria, and Marysa interrogated him about the concert and their night at the club.

Talking to her improved his mood. He liked the friendly yet stern girl, and he admired her for running the house and caring for her little sister almost on her own. Of course, Mason helped as often as he could, and Evan even witnessed that his friend was actually a quite reasonable cook, but he was in his last year of school, and Marysa insisted that he concentrated on his graduation first.

Evan felt sorry for them. In his eyes they deserved so much better, but he didn't know how to help. Every time, Mason visited him his mother invited him to eat with them, but that still didn't help the other members of his family. Evan felt bad for pitying them, and not being able to help at the same time.

"I did my best but I' afraid _someone_ forgot to pay the bill."

Mason returned and sat down at the kitchen table. "Again", he added shaking his head. "I have to talk to her. She should leave all financial matters to me, at least I'll manage to pay the bills on time."

Marysa went around the table, hugging her big brother from behind. "Leave it to me", she whispered and kissed him on the cheek. "I know that you hate talking to her."

"And about her", Mason growled in response.

Maria looked up from her colouring. "Where is mommy?", she asked in a very pure and innocent tone, and Marysa looked at her with a warm smile. "She's still out, darling."

"But she promised to play with me today", the four-year-old claimed, her eyes watering. Helplessly Marysa looked at her brother.

Mason understood. He got up and stepped between Evan and Maria's stool. "I'll play with you, is that okay?"

Maria's face lit up immediately. She screamed in delight, and raised her arms to indicate Mason that she wanted to be lifted out of her stool.

"My little princess", Mason smiled and took her in his arms. Evan couldn't help but to smile, too. When Maria was around Mason behaved like a big, cuddly teddy bear that wanted to fulfil his little princess' every wish. Seeing him like that reminded him why he enjoyed the tall man's presence so much.

"I think I'll leave", he announced and got up. "I promised my parents to be home soon." He said good-bye to Marysa, and Mason accompanied him to the front door, Maria still on his arm. After Evan put on his jacket he looked up into Mason's eyes. The taller man put down his little sister, telling her to go back into the kitchen, and to prepare something to play with. Happily the little girl ran away, thinking loudly about what she wanted to play with her big brother.

"She's so cute", Evan smiled.

"You too", Mason whispered leaning forward, and placed a soft kiss on Evan's forehead.

"See you at school tomorrow", the smaller boy said and grabbed Mason's hand, squeezing it quickly. Then, he went down the three steps leading to the Ryan's front door. At the end of the driveway he turned around one last time, waving at the tall man who was still leaning against the doorframe. Shivering he turned up the collar of his jacket and hurried to get home where his mother was already awaiting his arrival.

* * *

><p>The next day was Evan's first day of school since the 'incident'. His classmates and the other members of the swimming team didn't get tired of quizzing him about the beating, and he was quite relieved when the bell rang, and the first class of the day began.<p>

At the beginning of the last class before the afternoon break Evan was exhausted. He sat there, his elbows on his desk, staring blankly into his biology book. Daniel, who was in the same class, sitting behind him, poked him with a pencil. When Evan looked at him the bearded boy gave him an encouraging look. "At least they care, right?", he whispered and Evan smiled.

He turned his attention back to his book but he couldn't concentrate. Looking into Daniel's smiling face made him think of Saturday evening, and of what Daniel saw and might or might not remember. He made a mental note to ask the boy right after class. He had tried to do so the whole day, but every time something prohibited it. Nevertheless, his concentration was gone, so he decided to daydream a bit instead of listening to Mrs. Carolan talking about genetics and some guy with yellow and green peas.

After class Daniel hurried outside to meet his friends. Evan ran after him but they soon met up with Phil and the others, and the young boy's chance of talking to Daniel eye to eye vanished once again. While the blond boy started chatting to his band mates, Evan joined the group and positioned himself next to Mason. The tall man sensed Evan's resentment.

"What is it?", he asked as they all went towards the cafeteria.

"I tried to talk to him about... the thing", the small boy hissed. "But it's as if he's running away from me..." He sighed and fell silent when they all sat down at their usual table. Resting his head on the table he decided to not talk to anyone for the rest of the day.

Sheamus, who was sitting next to the desperate young boy, gave Mason a curious look. "What's with him?", he asked but Mason just shrugged. "Drank too much", Phil answered for him and chuckled. Sheamus looked down at his plate, trying to stay calm and avoid the topic of being drunk. He and Wade had a lot to say about that but they decided to not share their experience from the weekend with anybody ever.

While Evan was pouting Mason was thinking of how to solve this little problem. He too was very interested in what Daniel remembered or not. Looking around he did the only thing that came to his mind. He took the can of soda out of Phil's hand – the tattooed boy gave him puzzled look – and poured it over Daniels sweater.

"The fuck!", the young man jumped up and stared at Mason. "What are you doing?" Cursing and ranting he rushed towards the toilets. His friends sat there, laughing. "I don't know why you did that, but I like it", Wade laughed, offering Mason one of his sausages. The tall boy took one, smiled and shrugged.

Under the table he kicked Evan. The young boy looked up. "Go", Mason whispered and while Wade was still thanking him for finding a fun and appropriate way to silence Daniel, Evan followed his bearded friend to the restroom.

"Why did he do that? Stupid Mason. Stupid soda. God!" Daniel was standing in front of the sink, splashing water on his sweater. "I didn't do anything. Why the hell...?"

"I think it's my fault", Evan said, closing the door behind him. Daniel looked at him through the reflection of the dirty mirror. "What?"

"The whole day I'm trying to talk to you but you always run away or people delay me by asking questions about the stupid beating... I need to talk to you!" Evan took a few steps into the room, looking desperately at Daniel. The boy turned away from the sink to face Evan. "I apologize, I didn't want him to do that."

Daniel looked at him. Slowly his anger vanished at the sight of Evan's desperation. "What is it?", he asked calmly and managed to smile.

"Well...", suddenly Evan forgot what he wanted to say. "Erm... about Saturday night... We brought you home, remember?"

Daniel nodded. "Thanks for that", he said, smiling. "My father says thank you, too."

Evan's head turned bead red. "How... how much else do you remember?"

Daniel laughed. "That's what it is all about", he exclaimed. "I know I said that I would probably forget everything. I was very drunk... But, turns out, I didn't!" He gave Evan a wide grin. "You made out in a dark alley. Lil' slutty, don't you think?", he winked.

Evan froze. "You remember", he whispered. "You know it..." The whole seriousness of the problem revealed itself to him. If Daniel knew it was just a matter of time before he would tell Phil, and Wade, and soon the whole school would know about him and Mason and they would laugh and tell him that he's disgusting and his parents would sent him to a boarding school...

Looking at his friend's distraught facial expression Daniel felt bad for making fun of him. "Hey, it's okay. It was a joke, just a joke. I..." He looked around as if something inside the restroom could help him. "Look", he said, placing his hands on Evan's shoulders. He waited until the smaller boy looked up, then he continued.

"What I wanted to say is: I'm fine with it. I haven't met a gay person yet, at least none of which I know, and it was a strange thought at first, but I won't judge you or anything. It's your decision, and even though I seem a little bit chatty or rude sometimes I'm okay with it. You certainly don't need my permission to do anything, I didn't mean that, but I want you to know that... I'm fine with it... I am repeating myself..."

Daniel smiled helplessly. "I don't care whether you like boys or girls. You're my friend, no matter who you are kissing and... stuff. Okay?"

He felt the smaller boy relaxing again. With big eyes he looked up at him and asked: "So you don't think that it is disgusting? That _I_ am disgusting?"

"No!", Daniel shouted. "Never! Why would I think that? Just because I prefer a girl with some nice tits and a sexy bootie doesn't mean I think of you as a pervert or something. I don't quite get why you would choose Mason, but it's your choice. If you're happy..." He waved his hands and his eagerness convinced Evan. The boy smiled and Daniel exhaled heavily.

"Thanks for saying that", Evan whispered. His heart soothed and he was very relieved. His fears turned out to be ungrounded and once again he was thankful for having such good friends.

"But...", Daniel started and Evan gave him a worried look "you have to tell the others."

Evan moaned. He hoped that Daniel could keep their little secret for a while without urging them to come out to the other members of their clique, too. He still remembered the shock he had when Daniel caught them and the fright from just minutes ago still bothered him, and he certainly wanted to wait some time before he had to go through all that again.

"Well, not today", he said, avoiding Daniels gaze.

"I don't rush you", the taller boy responded. "But I don't think that they would hate you for it. We're your friends, and friends accept one another as they are. I know Phil and Wade for a long time, and even though they seem a little harsh or grumpy from time to time, they're good guys. They won't judge you, and accept you the way you are. They didn't gave a single fuck about the rumours in the first place, did they?"

Daniel beamed and Evan smiled back at him. He knew, or at least he hoped, that Daniel was right, but he was still afraid that his other friends might react unexpected. Instead of answering him he just nodded.

"Talking about them, we should go back. Otherwise, rumours about us will spread and you certainly want to avoid that, don't you?"

Laughing they left the restroom and made their way back to the cafeteria.

"But you have to explain to me: why Mason?", Daniel asked him on the way and Evan laughed.

"You wouldn't understand."

* * *

><p><em>AN: What do you think?_


	8. Do not say a word

**Title:** Into better days

**Rating: **rated M

**Disclaimer:** The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.

**Pairing(s):** Mason/Evan

**Summary:** High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings:** none in this one :)

**A/N:** I kept writing! But sadly I haven't been able to stay updated with my favourite stories! Shame on me! I hope to get some free time soon to spent some time reading...  
>Thanks for the comments, they're really appreciated. Don't hesitate to ask questions or make suggestions!<p>

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><p><strong>VIII. - Do not say a word<strong>

Cody was walking down the hallway, his head held high and proud of being allowed to spent his lunch break with Mike and his friends. He did it! Finally he was were he belonged to. He was popular now. He was allowed to sit with the rich kids, he wasn't bullied anymore and he was dating a blonde, sexy girl. Life had been good to him the last few weeks.

But still, he felt guilty. Without Phil and the others the girls would still ignore him and the cool kids would still behave as if he didn't exist. He achieved his goal and now he was neglecting his friends who made everything possible in the first place. This though made him sad. Thinking forward to their learning session he had planned this afternoon he shoved away the thoughts.

"Well then, I have to go", Ted announced. The slender boy was one of Mike's closest friends and member of the school's choir.

"See you later", Mike said, smiling his arrogant and impervious smile.

"Well, I gotta go, too. I have physics next and Mr. Hickenbottom can be a pain in the ass if you dare to be late for his class", Cody said, rubbing the back of his head. "See you tomorrow." It was more of a question rather than a statement, and Mike nodded benevolent. The other boy grinned and rushed towards the science building.

"What's that with you and that nerdboy?"

Randy was leaning against Mike's locker, eyeing him curious but cautious. "Are you _bonding_ with him?"

"You actually are as stupid as you look. Or is this just an average football player thing I don't get?", Mike replied, not very impressed by the taller boy.

"Your parents might be rich, Mizanin, but that won't stop me from showing you whether you fit into one of this tiny lockers or not!", Randy said with clenched teeth. "You'd better stop insulting me or I might consider to take my anger out on you."

"I'll bear that in mind", the blonde boy replied, still not impressed. "But given that we're somehow on the same side I'll explain why I'm – what were your words again? - _bonding_ with Rhodes.

You see, he might be very intelligent when it comes to maths and physics but, lets face it, he's dumb. He has no sense for human interactions at all. You can lie straight into his face and he's delighted that you talk to him. He's a social cripple who's craving for appreciation and acceptance from us. And by saying us I mean the 'cool' kids, like you and me. The ones that don't get their head flushed in a toilette."

"Nobody does that", Randy mumbled but Mike hushed him with a wink of his right hand. Growling Randy fell silent again.

"Well, his friends on the other hand are much more clever. They'd get suspicious if they'd see me or you talking to him, befriending him. The danger of them getting involved in this is way to big. That's why I had to silence Bourne. He saw me talking to the nerdboy."

"_You_ sent those thugs after him?" Randy was impressed. That's what the rich boy meant by having people to do the dirty work for him.

Mike nodded. "Indeed, and I think they distracted him quite well. But nevertheless I have to be cautious in case he remembers to tell his friends."

"I still don't quite get why we have to be nice to Rhodes", Randy said, scratching his head.

"We need him", Mike answered.

"We do?" Disbelieve was written all over the tanned athlete's face.

"As I said, he's dumb and I need him to do and get some things for me. Lets say, things have to be arranged, and I need informations and maybe one or two personal belongings from Brooks and Barrett. I hope you see that I can't ask them myself. And that's where Rhodes comes into play. By asking him I can get every information I need."

Finally, Randy understood. He was even more impressed as Mike revealed his thoughts. He wouldn't ever have thought about such things. After all he was a quite pragmatic man who liked to solve his problems with his hands rather than with his head. "What if the boy ever thinks about telling his friends that you're questioning him about them?"

Mike gave him an indulgent look. "He's so credulous, he agreed of keeping our 'friendship' a secret because his friends won't 'like me'. And in case he refuses to provide the informations needed I still have literally a million things to bribe him with. He cast an eye on precious Kelly and I thought of rewarding him with some female love if he obeys. Kelly would do anything for me."

Randy burst out in laughter. He had to acknowledge to himself that he underestimated the blonde boy. He was talking to a fucking genius!

* * *

><p>The same afternoon, Cody was sitting in Phil's room, trying to explain some simple rules of linear algebra to Phil, Wade and Daniel. While his band mates were pondering over the tasks Cody gave them, Sheamus was laying on the small sofa, feeling bored, and occasionally twanging at the strings of his bass guitar.<p>

"I don't get it! That's impossible!", Daniel exclaimed desperately, throwing away his pen and starting to bang his head against the table. Rolling his eyes Phil smacked him on the back of his head. "Concentrate", he hissed and went on despairing of the calculation.

After some minutes of silent struggle Wade stretched and passed his sheet to Cody. With big eyes Daniel watched the brunette boy going through Wade's procedure of solution. He nodded and took off his glasses. "It's all correct", he announced and beamed at Wade who gave him his signature smug grin.

"That's impossible!", Daniel cried out. "How is he able to solve this while I haven't got a single clue?"

"That's because you're stupid", Wade replied dryly and stood up. He went over to his bag, got himself a cigarette, and left the room through the side door. Angrily Daniel gazed after him. "I'm not stupid", he growled, trying to concentrate on his exercises once again, fighting the urge to get a cigarette, too.

"By the way, where are Evan and Mason?", Cody asked as he got up and walked over to the fridge. At the sight of pepsi being the only beverage Phil's fridge had to offer he closed the door again, took a glass, and decided to drink tap water instead.

"Evan's swim training is today and Mason decided to wait for him", Sheamus answered. "I think he's still a bit worried about the little fella."

Cody nodded and took a sip. His friend Mike had been surprisingly interested in Evan's health situation, but he didn't told the others. Even though he was proud of being friends with one of the popular kids he was afraid that his friends, especially Wade and Phil, would be very displeased by that.

"You've been quite busy lately", Phil remarked, thankful for the distraction. "You used to hang out with us, and then we don't get to see you for weeks, except for our learning sessions. Do you have new friends we don't know of?"

Cody looked at him as if he was a ghost. For him it seemed as if Phil could read his mind. He looked away.

"Nah... it's just..."

"It's a girl, right?", Sheamus asked and sat up. They all remembered the blonde girl Cody went to their gig with.

"She's just a friend", Cody admitted. "Even though I wish she would... but she doesn't see me like that. We just go out from time to time." He sighed, took off his glasses, and started cleaning them with the sleeve of his shirt. The others gave him a pitiful look.

"Furthermore, I have to keep up with my advanced courses." The boy looked at Phil and Daniel who turned back to their exercises in an instant. "I want to go to a good college. Harvard or maybe Yale. I can't procrastinate!"

Phil rolled his eyes. He saw the need in studying, but he hated it nevertheless.

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><p>The weeks went by and February came along. Some sadistic teachers had scheduled tests for the 15th and because of that none of the group was able to spend Valentine's Day the way it should be celebrated. Instead, they met up with Cody to rehearse some unclear questions. They stayed at Phil's up to late, studying biology, maths and literature.<p>

The upcoming weekend, Evan and Mason decided to spent a whole day together. The others were practising for another gig, and Cody had made himself scarce even before the examinations.

Mason and Evan met at the junction they used to split up at their way home from Phil. Mason suggested to get some chips and ice cream, and spend the day at the Ryan's house, watching some movies. Marysa had to go to the obligatory doctor's appointment with Maria, and had planned on going shopping with their little sister afterwards. Therefore, the house would be all theirs.

They got their snacks at a nearby grocery store. On their way to Mason's they walked along the river. "It's wonderful, isn't it?", Evan asked and paused. He looked over the river, watched the reflecting sunlight glistening on the surface. "Do you know why I love water that much? It somehow always changes, it's never the same. And you can be part of that, you can always change what you are, if you want to. Or develop – that might be the better expression." He sighed and looked at Mason who was himself looking at the little waves that rippled the water surface. Again, his look didn't reveal anything, and Evan was wondering what he might be thinking about. 'He's still a mystery to me', he thought.

"You never step into the same river twice", the tall boy finally said, averting his gaze from the steadily flowing river. They moved along, and Evan enjoyed the other one's presence in silence.

"You don't have to change", Mason finally said.

Evan eyed his friend from the side. "Well, I enjoy being part of something that never stops, that's always in motion. Despite, changes don't have to be bad."

"But they mostly are...", Mason disagreed without looking at him. "I don't want you to change. Sometimes things should stay the way they are."

Evan gave him a sad look. He knew what Mason was hinting at. He still suffered from the loss of his father. Evan could only imagine how Mason could have been as a child. Maybe he had been cheerful and blithe, but he would never know. Mason refused to talk about it, and Marysa just couldn't remember.

Silently they walked alongside each other, but this time the silence was somewhat bitter and oppressive. After some minutes Evan couldn't stand it anymore.

"The boys and you... you changed my life", he said, looking at his hands, playing with the loop of his plastic bag. "It's better now." He stopped, fighting back the feeling of sadness but soon he felt the first tear running down his cheek. Hastening, he wiped it away.

When he looked up, Mason was eyeing him with his vacuous eyes. He looked around, and when he noticed that nobody was around, he put his arms around his small friend. "I'm sorry", he whispered. "I'm a bit touchy when it comes to such topics. Honestly, my life also changed when we made that arrangement back then, but I tend to forget the good things in life."

Evan managed to give him his purest smile. After making sure that nobody was watching them, Mason hugged him even tighter, and gave him a brief kiss on the forehead. "Lets go home", he said quietly. "The ice cream is melting."

They hurried to Mason's home, and soon after the tall boy closed the door behind them the ice cream was forgotten. Mason had shouted to ensure that nobody was home, and afterwards had drawn Evan into a long and passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around the waist of his smaller friend and lifted him up a bit. Evan smiled into the kiss, and for some rare minutes everything seemed to be just perfect.

A high pitched scream made them scatter. Mason spun around in alarm, and saw his sisters standing at the door, their groceries scattered all over the floor. Marysa looked at him, her eyes widened, her mouth still open. Her hands were shaking and when Mason took a step forward she instinctively stepped backwards. Maria was standing next to her, carrying one of her stuffed animals, and looked from Mason to her sister and back again.

Mason raised his arms and took a step back. They hadn't realized that their stroll at the shore of the river had taken that much time. "I...", he started but his voice quit the service. He cleared his throat. "I can explain", he finally managed to say, giving Marysa a pleading and defeated look. Evan stood beside him, his heart racing. It was the second time within a few weeks that they were caught, but this time it was much worse than drunken Daniel!

After some moments Maria broke the silence. "What's happening", she asked alarmed. Since her siblings behaved quite unusual she sensed that something must be going on. Still shaking Marysa laid her hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Why don't you go upstairs, Maria. I bet Sally's pretty tired." Hugging her stuffed elephant tighter the little girl walked past the two boys, looking back quite suspicious. But she didn't dare to oppose her sister, and soon the three young adults could hear her childish babbling from upstairs.

"Marysa, I...", Mason began to speak, but the raised hand of his sister silenced the tall boy.

"You don't need to explain", she said with a breathy voice. She was still shaking and avoided to make eye contact with her older brother. "I know what I saw and I _know_ what that means!" She sighed and closed the door behind her, leaning against the wooden surface.

It almost broke Evan's heart to see his friend just standing there, staring at his sister who consequently avoided to look at him. His hands were hanging loosely at his side, his fingers moving slowly because he didn't know what to do with them. He had never seen the tall boy like this. His eyes were widened in disbelief and pain, his mouth slightly open as if he wanted to say something. Actually, Evan assumed, his boyfriend was close to tears.

"I'm sorry", Mason whispered, averting his gaze. He looked down at his shoes, clenching his fist. His mind was blank. After he had heard his sisters shriek, had seen her shocked eyes, the entire consequences of this situation had revealed themselves to him. Now, he was standing in the middle of the hallway, knowing that he was about to loose his family, his sisters who he loved more than anything, just because he had been too carefree. The only thought that kept him from bursting into tears was that, nevertheless, he blamed himself that he hadn't been cautious enough instead of regretting what happened in the first place. He reached out behind him, and his hand found Evan's.

A bit surprised, Evan took his hand, squeezing it softly.

"I'm sorry", Mason repeated, but this time his voice was more stable.

"Don't!", Marysa exclaimed, finally looking up again. "I'm the one who's sorry. I... I overreacted..."

Puzzled, Mason looked at her. Tears were glistening in the corners of her eyes. She breathed heavily, shaking her hands to keep herself from crying.

"I was shocked", the girl tried to explain herself. "I most certainly didn't expected that." She tried to smile but failed horribly. She gave Mason a helpless look and he instantly let go of Evan's hand, stepped towards his sister and took her into his arms. Marysa pressed her head against his chest, her body quivering from a mixture of sobs and laughter.

Softly, she pushed Mason away and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

"I can't believe that you're gay", she finally said. "I don't have a problem with that, heaven forbid, but it _is_ hard to believe. I know mom's not the best representative of the female species but..." She interrupted herself, shaking her head. "I didn't imagine that it would affect you that much."

"I'm not gay", Mason stated, almost offensive, looking at Evan who looked back at him in disbelieve. But before the younger boy could protest Mason added: "I'm not interested in men, and I don't think that they... we... are attractive... But Evan's different." He gave the smaller boy a warm and affectionate smile.

Evan's heart just skipped a beat. He had seen Mason's smile a couple of times by now but that smile was different. It was full of affection and understanding, and it somehow startled him that he was able to read all that in his boyfriends eyes. He blushed and looked away.

"If you say so", Marysa said. "The only thing that matters to me is that you're happy. May it be with a girl or a boy – I don't care. You're my brother and I'll always love you. Besides, Even is a nice guy indeed", she added and beamed at Evan.

"Well now, look at this mess." Gesturing at the groceries that were still laying around on the floor Marysa shook her head. She knelt down, collecting the packages and cartons, and cramming them back into the plastic bags. Evan and Mason hurried to help her.

"I think we could all need some tea now."

Some minutes later, they were sitting around the small kitchen table, a cup of hot and steaming tea in front each of them. Maria had been brave and curious enough to come downstairs again, and was now sitting happily on Mason's lap, eating a bowl of cereals. The older ones remained silent, each of them preoccupied in thoughts.

"We have to keep this a secret", Marysa finally said and the boys looked at her. "If mother finds out she'll kick you out. We can't do this on our own, we need you!" She looked at her brother, a severe and determined look on her face.

Mason nodded. It wouldn't be a problem for him to quit school, find a job and care for himself, but without his presence his sisters were in danger of not getting any money from their careless mother. Not to mention the suspicious guys she brought home from time to time. Mason was pretty sure that some of them would love to get their hands on his sister. The thought made him sick. He began to stroke Maria's hair, and calmed down a bit.

"No, we definitely can't tell her!", Marysa decided. Then, she smiled. "Thinking about it, I kinda like the idea of you two being together."

Again Evan felt blood rushing into his head. The Ryan family somehow possessed the ability to make him blush. He couldn't help but feel some kind of affection for the brunette girl. She was so different from her brother, and yet they seemed to complement each other perfectly. For one moment Evan felt guilty for causing them trouble. If it weren't for him, they didn't have to worry about Mrs. Ryan kicking out her son for some stupid reason...

His thoughts must have been visible in his face because suddenly he felt the eyes of the two older siblings on him.

"Don't worry. We've been through a lot together, we'll make it through it this time, too", Marysa assured him.

"It has always been us three against _her_", Mason added and took Evan's hand. "Don't worry." His resolute tone convinced Evan.

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><p><em>AN: So Mason's sister found out and Mike's plan is developing. I added Ted because someone thought of him being the "blonde guy". I think he makes a good friend for arrogant Mike so there will be some more gueat appearences!_


	9. We were born to fly

**Title:** Into better days

**Rating: **rated M

**Disclaimer:** The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.

**Pairing(s):** Mason/Evan

**Summary:** High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings: **sexual content, strong language

**A/N:** Thanks for your comments, guys! 3**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>IX. - We were born to fly<strong>

The corridors were filled with voices, laughter, and loud footsteps. People were rushing by, chatting and bypassing the time between classes. The weather outside went from snowy and cold to windy and wet as spring approached. Phil, Wade and Sheamus were standing at Wade's locker, waiting for the English-born to lock up his books. Phil was looking up at the skylight, watching the heavy raindrops falling on the translucent surface.

"What's next?", Sheamus asked and yawned.

"Sports", Mason replied who approached them after getting his stuff from his own locker which was located some corridors away. The four boys were in the same year and shared most of their classes.

"If that moron of a teacher forces us to play football again I swear I'll kick him in the crotch!" The muffled voice of Wade came out of the depths of his locker. "Bad enough it's football instead of rugby – am I right?", he looked at Sheamus who nodded in approval, "no, it's just another chance for those jerks to show of!" Angrily he slammed the door of his locker. The lock fell on the floor with a rattling noise, and the black haired boy sighed violently.

"I can't stand those idiots from the football team either...", Mason growled.

"C'mon, it ain't that bad", Phil tried to cheer them up. "At least we can have fun with them a bit as long as we're in the same team." He laughed and the others joined in.

"What are you so happy about?", a mocking voice asked them, and Phil's good mood decreased. Orton was leaning against the opposite wall, staring at them with obvious disgust and disapproval. Phil rolled his eyes. The tanned boy had the talent of ruining every day, no matter if the sun was shining and how happy one has been before.

The smug smile of the jock made Wade even more angry. "You must have been longing for my foot up you're arse, otherwise you would've shut your mouth", he snapped and prepared to throw his sports gear at the still grinning boy.

"I see, you're not in the mood for some cultivated conversation", Orton apologized sarcastically, and stepped closer. He bent down and picked up Wade's lock. "You should be more careful with that, it's school property after all." Saying that he pocketed the lock and got ready to leave.

"The fuck you think you're doing?" It took Wade two steps to get to the jock. He seized his wrist and rudely turned him around. "Give it back, asshole!", he demanded.

Randy's eyes flashed belligerent. At first, it seemed as if the smaller boy would fight back and punch Wade, but the moment passed by without any further acts of violence. Smirking Randy freed himself from Wade's grasp. "Calm your tits", he laughed huskily and pelt the lock at Wade. Still laughing he walked away.

"What's his problem?", Sheamus asked in a dismissive tone. His black haired friend shrugged angrily and closed his locker. "Who knows what's going on in a mind of that shithead..."

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><p>"Did you exchange the locks?", Mike asked. Randy nodded. He, Mike, and Ted met up in one of the empty classrooms, talking about the plan and its latest developments.<p>

"Right before gym class", the tanned football player responded. "But I still don't get why. If he tries to open the lock with his combination he'll know that I gave him the wrong one." He drew the right lock from his pocket, and twisted it in his hands.

Ted and Mike exchanged knowing looks and laughed. "He won't", Mike started to explain. "It's a special lock. It opens no matter what combination you use. Barrett won't notice anything, and now we're able to get stuff in and out of his locker as we please!"

Randy's smile widened. "That's..."

"Brilliant? Awesome? I know." Mike leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. "But the next step is a bit more complicated. We can't exchange the other locks, they would get suspicious if we hang around their lockers too often."

"That's where Rhodes comes into play", Ted took over. "It's like his first test of obedience. He'll get Brooks' combination for us."

Randy sat down on a table, and smiled. "Weeks ago I would've doubted that he'd ever do that but the boy is submissively dependent on you. So, you think he's ready to betray his friends?"

"He's like a puppet", Mike laughed, "and I hold his strings in my hand."

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><p>The weeks went by and eventually the rain stopped. Finally, spring found its way to Chicago, and the suburban area in which St. Helmsley High School was located shone in verdancy. Birds were singing in the tree tops, and all the small insects, rodents and other animals suffused the air with humming, buzzing, and chirping.<p>

Mason made use of the first warming rays of sunshine, and banished his winter cloaks and clothes into the farthest corner of his wardrobe. Every year he couldn't await for winter to be over. He loved walking around in jeans and t-shirt only, feeling the warm wind on his skin and in his hair, even if the temperatures were just above 50 °F. Marysa often scolded him for being a bad example for their youngest sibling, but that had been one of the few things he wasn't ready to compromise.

Evan's jaw dropped when his friend opened the door, dressed in a tight, grey jeans, and a white wife beater only. He himself was still wearing his warm jacket, even though he abandoned his scarf, gloves, and beanie.

"Come in", the tall boy beamed, and slowly Evan made his way past his obviously crazy friend. He took of his jacket and shoes and went straight into the living room. The TV was on and some guy in a suit talked about insurances.

"You're dressed as if it's summer, and you're watching a tv-show about insurance advices. What the fuck happened to my boyfriend, and how do I get him back?"

Mason laughed at his puzzled face. "I always dress like that when it gets warmer, and this show is for my personal information. _She_ decided to change her insurance, leaving us without any coverage. I somehow have to manage that on my own now..." He sat down on the couch, watching the insurance-guy with a mixture of grudge and confusion. "The problem is, I don't understand a single word he's saying."

Evan laughed and sat down next to him. "By the way: hi!", he greeted his friend, and gave him a cheerful smile.

"Hi", Mason responded and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Did you know that today's our sixth month's anniversary?", Evan asked the tall boy while he was switching channels. He climbed on top of his friends lap, and forced him to put down the remote. "Happy anniversary", he whispered and, by taking his friends head in his hands, drew him into another, far more passionate kiss.

"I can't believe it's been six months", the small boy said. He pressed himself against the warm and brawny body of his boyfriend, hiding his head at the other ones neck. "Six months", he whispered into Mason's ear, and began to kiss his way down the other ones neck. Evan could feel the shivers his actions sent through the older ones body. He felt Mason's hands on his back and in his hair, felt his warm breath close to his ear.

He had been waiting for this day. For weeks he went through it in his head over and over again. Their relationship had lasted for quite some time now and they actually had some opportunities to get intimate, to explore each others bodies, but most of the time it had been innocent petting. The farthest Mason had gone was giving him a hand-job (and, of course, he had returned the favour), and even though Evan was thankful that Mason was careful and didn't urge him, he felt that he became more and more confident, and that the time was ready to take the next step. Even if he wasn't 100% sure about it yet, his body demanded it.

Right at that moment, his body was sending unequivocal signals to his brain. His heart was beating fast, and his pants suddenly felt as if they were much too tight. He placed a kiss on Mason's collarbone, and his heart skipped a beat as Mason's hand went further down, and began to massage his lower back. He closed his eyes, and rested his head against the other one's shoulder.

"Marysa promised to stay out till evening. We have the whole house for ourselves", Mason said softly.

"What about your mother?"

"She won't be home for some time, she's on vacation with one of her fuck-mates."

Evan didn't knew if it was a good thing but Mason using words like that somehow turned him on. "So, what do you think of doing now that the house is ours?", he asked and gave his friend a meaningful look.

Instead of giving him an answer Mason drew him closer, and kissed him. He placed both of his hands on Evans hips and pressed his lower body against his own. The young man moaned as he felt the hard bulge rubbing against his own erection. He hugged Mason tighter, and enjoyed the hot and demanding feeling that arose in his body. He remembered the fears and doubts he had had when they had been doing things like that for the first time. By now, they seemed so unreal and meaningless Evan almost laughed. How could he ever think of their relationship as being disgusting or wrong? Everything felt so right, so _hot_.

Suddenly, Evan pushed himself away from Mason, and climbed down from his lap. He didn't took the time to explain himself to his friend. Instead, he knelt down in front of the couch, and pushed apart Mason's legs. The smaller boy didn't dare to look up as he, slowly, opened button and zipper of Mason's jeans. Mason watched him eagerly, and let him do as he liked.

Evan took a deep breath before he found the courage to pull down Mason's pants. Actually, he hadn't _seen_ his friend entirely naked before, just felt it, and he was curious and a little scared at the same time. His hands were shaking. 'You can't stop now!', he told himself. 'You've gone this far, now don't chicken out!'

He swallowed. Underneath Mason's boxers he could make out the outlines of his friends member. He exhaled, and, still avoiding to look up, he seized the waistband, and pulled down the boxers.

Evan gasped for air. It was bigger than he had expected.

"You don't have to do it." The voice of his friend reached him as if it had to travel through thick fog. Evan looked up and straight into those calm and dark eyes that fascinated him since he first met Mason.

"Don't say that", he whispered, not able to speak up, and gave him a stern look.

Mason looked at him, puzzled, and raised his hands as if to ask what he should say instead.

Evan gathered all his courage to utter the next words. His head turned beet-red as he said: "I want you to tell me to do it. I want to hear you saying it." He tried to look serious but he knew that he must have been looking pretty helpless. Luckily, Mason did as he was told without teasing him for his insecurity and curiosity.

The tall man leaned forward, and seized Evan by his shoulders. Once again the younger boy realized how strong his companion was. He knew that, if Mason truly wished for it, he could do whatever he wanted and he couldn't do anything against it. But instead of being afraid he was excited. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins. He didn't notice that he was awaiting Mason's words with his mouth slightly open.

"I want you to suck my dick", Mason said to him, putting special emphasis on the last three words.

The words didn't fail to have the desired effect . Evan bit his lip, and freed himself from Mason's grasp. The taller man leaned back again but Evan still felt his watching eyes on him.

Cautious he reached out and comprised the hot flesh. He began to stroke it slowly, charming heavy breathings from Mason in return. Prompted, he stroke harder and faster. His heart beating fast he leaned closer, watching his own motions with a mixture of disbelieve and amazement.

'He's so big... Nah, focus, Evan! No time for unnecessary thoughts. Just do it!', the brunette boy ordered himself. He didn't allow himself further hesitation. While still stroking the shaft of Mason's cock he opened his mouth. He touched the head with the tip of his tongue, inhaling the bitter yet arousing scent.

Evan stopped to move his hand, and trailed his tongue up and down the erect cock. Eventually, he circled the tip with his tongue, and put his lips around the hot and hard flesh. Slowly, he began to work on the tip, tightening and loosening the pressure of his lips, and still teasing it with his tongue.

Curious, the younger boy looked up without interrupting what he was doing. Mason was leaning against the cushions, his eyes closed, and his mouth open. His chest was trembling, and he could see a faint tricklet of saliva running down Mason's broad and stubbly jawline. As if he knew that Evan was watching him he opened his eyes, and both men looked at each other; one looking down at the one who was pleasing him, the other one looking up at the one who was obviously enjoying it.

"Don't stop", Mason whispered, his voice raw and shaking in excitement.

Encouraged, Evan averted his gaze to concentrate. Black spots were dancing in front of his eyes, and he closed them, his motions led by what he was hearing and feeling only. Slowly, he took Mason's dick deeper into his mouth, just as deep as he felt comfortable with. A suppressed groan signalled him that he was doing more than well. Holding the member in place with one hand he accelerated his motions, trying to take it in even deeper every time. But soon he found the spot from which he couldn't go any further. His gag reflex set in. A tear ran down his cheek, and he had to let go of the hard cock in order to catch his breath, and to suppressed the urge to throw up.

After he calmed down a bit, he started licking along the shaft again, breathing heavily, and blinking away the tears the gagging had caused. It was a strange feeling, doing this to another man, and it was quite different from what he had expected. Sometimes, he had fantasised about Mason giving him a blow job, meanwhile recalling the feeling of his boyfriend's hand. He had also imagined how it would be to do it himself, but somehow he had always compared it to eating a popsicle or a banana. But it was nothing like that. It was hot, it tasted quite strange, and above all he hadn't expected it to be that difficult to take it all in.

Banishing his thoughts, Evan stopped licking Mason's cock, and took a deep breath. While stroking him again, he touched Mason's abdomen with his free hand, feeling the hard muscles underneath the sweaty skin. His hand found Mason's which was laying loosely on his stomach, and squeezed it. The taller boy softly returned the gesture.

Evan took his hand, and brought it closer to his face, placing a soft and devoted kiss on the back of Mason's hand. Once again both men locked eyes, and Evan tried to signal his companion what he wanted him to do. To his surprise, Mason actually understood his wordless request; maybe because he knew what Evan wanted, maybe because he wanted it himself.

Placing one hand on the back of the boy's head he guided him back towards his erect cock. A small, transparent drop was visible at the tip, and feeling the pressure of the other one's hand on his head Evan licked it off. Again, Mason moaned as Evan took his dick into his mouth, this time without stopping the motion of his hand. The older boy dig his fingers into Evan's short hair, enjoying the shivers those pleasing lips sent through his body. His hand was guiding Evan up and down his hard cock, and the smaller boy enjoyed the other one's dominance, the pressure of his strong hand forcing him to do what he actually liked.

Following a sudden intuition, Evan stopped pleasing him with the pressure of his lips only. Hoping that he wouldn't hurt his friend he started trailing up and down the erect member with his teeth.

A reflex forced Mason to straighten his back, and lean forward. Not knowing it, Evan had increased the pressure, and it became difficult for Mason to hold back. He felt that he was close to coming, but he didn't want to come in Evan's face, let alone his mouth. He was afraid that this would still be too much for his young boyfriend.

Softly but decisive, he pulled Evan away from his hard and pulsating dick, dragging him onto his lap, and hugging him tight. This time, he hid his head at Evan's neck, trying to calm down, and fight back the hot and promising feeling inside his lower body. 'Not now', he told himself, pressing the small and fragile body against his.

"Did I do something wrong?", Evan asked sadly because of the interruption, and Mason forced himself to look into his blue and innocent eyes.

"No. No, you didn't", he answered, still trying to take control over his breathing and the rest of his body. "I just... didn't want to come... like that", he was struggling for words. He placed a soft kiss on Evan's forehead. "How did you know what to do? That must have been your first time."

Evan blushed. He had hoped that Mason wouldn't bring up that topic, but with deadly precision he did.

"I...", he began but interrupted himself, searching for the right, not too embarrassing words. Eventually, he gave up. There was no way of saying it without being embarrassment, and therefore he chose to say it right away.

"I... I googled it..."

Mason looked at him in amazement.

"You _googled_ it?"

Ashamed Evan averted his gaze. "I didn't know how to do it but I wanted to do it for you... I couldn't ask anybody, and, believe me or not, there are no books about that in the library."

A suppressed chuckle made him look up again. Mason was obviously trying not to laugh out loud, but his eyes looked so cheerful and affectionate Evan couldn't be angry. Instead, he blushed and started to laugh himself.

"I know, it sounds silly, but I had no choice."

Mason grinned. He touched Evan's hot, red cheek, and kissed him. "Thanks for doing that for me", he whispered in between kisses, and happily Evan relaxed in his strong embrace.

Enjoying the tender touch of Mason's hand underneath his shirt he sighed. Despite the embarrassment he was proud of himself. Thinking back, he hadn't been the most courageous boy in town, and the fact that he just gave Mason head left him with pride and amazement. During his relationship with the strong boy he had learned a lot about affection, the happiness of being with somebody you like more than anything, about trusting another human being, and about overcoming his own anxieties.

But he hadn't been the only one that developed in this relationship. He still remembered Mason being calm and uncommunicative, struggling to never reveal his intentions and feelings. He had sparsely talked, and had acted very cautious and controlled overall. Now, Evan smiled at the thought of Mason talking dirty to him. The tall boy appeared to be much more open-minded, not only with him but also with their friends.

Bearing all that in mind, Evan decided to take another courageous step. By now, he was convinced that today had to be _the_ day!

"Mason", he whispered, biting into his earlobe. "I want do it. I want to go all the way." As if to reinforce his wish he pressed his body against his lover's, pushing his own hard erection against Mason's stomach.

The tall man nodded, and Evan allowed him to get up. Pulling up his pants Mason moved his head from one shoulder to the other, producing a strange cracking sound. "Let's go upstairs", he said, holding his hand out to Evan. With his heart beating hard against his chest Evan took his hand.

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><p><em>AN: Sexy time! Also: Mike's plan is developing!_


	10. Are we already in Heaven?

**Title:** Into better days

**Rating: **rated M

**Disclaimer:** The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.

**Pairing(s):** Mason/Evan

**Summary:** High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings:** sexual content

**A/N:** I know, it took me a while to upload the next chapter, even though I wrote it some time ago. But here it is. And, once again, thank you so much for the coments!

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><p><strong>X. - Are we already in Heaven?<strong>

Cold hands were brushing over his skin as Mason helped him out of his cardigan and shirt. Evan shivered. Mason's outfit conveyed warmer temperatures but it was actually pretty cold in his room. The tall boy noticed the goosebumps on Evan's arms. He bent over his desk to close his window. Gently he pushed Evan into his cosy blankets. Instantly, Evan snuggled into the warmth of Mason's bed, waiting for his boyfriend to join him.

"You sure you wanna do this?", he asked while taking of his shirt. His hands on his belt buckle he paused and watched Evan carefully.

'Kinda sure...', the young boy thought, but he knew that if he would express any doubt Mason would not agree on doing anything today. Therefore, he kept his doubts to himself, and instead replied: "Of course I'm sure!"

Mason crawled into his bed, kneeling opposite his friend. "You're a lousy liar", he remarked.

"I am sure!", the boy exclaimed, raising his voice. "I'm just... nervous, that's all. Please..." He reached out, and grabbed Mason's hand. "Don't let me down now."

After what felt like eternity Mason opened his mouth. "Okay. But as soon as you make a funny face this is over. I don't want to hurt you, understand? You can back out at _any_ time, I won't be mad. You don't have to do that just because you think 'it's time' or because you think that _I_ want it. I want you to be sure about it, otherwise we both won't enjoy it!"

Overwhelmed by his feelings he flung his arms around Mason's neck, burying his hands in his long, black hair. He rubbed his cheek against the taller one's. "I promise", he whispered. "But don't you want it, too?"

He felt the motion of Mason's face against his cheek, knowing that his friend was smiling, and couldn't help but smile, too. "Of course I want it", Mason replied. "I want you." Gently, he pushed Evan back into the pillows, and started to kiss his way down the slender boy's neck. His hands were caressing Evan's sides, brushing over his formerly injured ribs down to his hips. Looking up, the tall boy saw that his companion had closed his eyes, enjoying the touch of his smooth hands. It hurt his heart seeing that the attack hadn't left Evan's face unscathed. A faint, white scar was visible on the young man's forehead, right above his left brow.

Mason's feelings overpowered him. Evan's slender body, his nevertheless quite muscular arms, his prominent collarbones, his relaxed and expectant mien, his short, spiked hair... He wanted to protect him. He wanted to be with him, make him happy. He felt for Evan as he felt for his sisters, his family, and yet there was so much more. At that precise moment he wanted to be close to Evan, he wanted to have him.

'It will cost me all my strength to stop if he'll ask me to', he thought while he trailed his hands down Evan's stomach. His heart was beating faster as he opened Evan's pants and pulled them down. Secretly, he hoped that Evan won't back out, that he would let him do what he longed for. He removed Evan's pants and underwear, and laid down next to him.

Drawing the younger boy into a kiss he stroked his chest and stomach, trailed his hands down to Evan's pelvic bone, and teased him by caressing his thighs without touching his still erect member. Evan moaned into the kiss. Encouraged, Mason pressed the smaller body against his, finally giving the boy the relieve his body begged for.

Slowly, Mason began to stroke his cock, delighted at the unequivocal reactions his motions caused. His eyes still closed Evan clung to his friend's stronger body, digging his fingernails into the soft and warm flesh. Unintentionally, he began to move his lower body, thrusting into the promising hand. With his free hand Mason seized his neck, caressing him while he accelerated the movement of his other hand.

Evan's movements became faster, more violent, and Mason knew that he was about to come. He freed his hand, letting go of Evan's pulsating member. A frustrated and confused moan from the small swimmer made him smile. "Not now", he whispered, bending over Evan to reach his nightstand. He opened the drawer and revealed a blue plastic tube.

Evan shrieked as Mason held the cold container against his bare back. "What is that?", the young boy asked puzzled, backing away from the cold and towards the warmth of Mason's body. "It'll help you", the older one hinted, showing Evan the tube of lube. He had bought it and a package of condoms a few months ago, hiding them in the depth of his nightstand, waiting for the time he might need them.

Gently, he pushed Evan away from himself, pressing him head first into the cushions. He climbed over him, kissing the other one's neck, and massaging his lower back. Evan wrapped his arms around a pillow and turned his head to the side. Mason noticed a suppressed yelp as he touched the soft skin with his fingers covered with the gelatinous and cold liquid. 'I should warm it next time', he thought and immediately scolded himself of letting his thoughts wander off. But the constant tension in his pants reminded him of what he should be doing.

"Relax", he whispered close to Evan's ear, caressing the boy's shoulders with one hand while applying the lube onto his body. His skin prickled while he was touching his boyfriend. A mixture of desire and wonder dominated his feelings. He wanted to take this slender body but at the same time the trust Evan put in him amazed him. And it made him even more horny.

Carefully he shoved a finger inside Evan, keeping an eye and an ear on his small friend. The younger one's body stiffened but soon he relaxed again. "It feels strange", he whispered, bending his neck to look at Mason. They locked eyes, and Mason began to move his finger a bit.

Encouraged by the expectant look on Evan's flushed face, the lustful moans that escaped his opened mouth, he inserted a second finger and started to move them slowly. Evan buried his face in the pillows. He breathed heavily and tried to mute his moans by pressing his head against the soft surface. His reactions encouraged Mason. While he caught himself staring at Evan's heaving shoulders he accelerated his movements, biting his lip.

Suddenly, Evan reared up and tilted his head back. His eyes were closed, his mouth partly open. Small drops of sweat were glistering on his forehead. Slowly, he turned his head, and looked at Mason with his eyes still half closed. "I can't stand it anymore. Please... don't let me wait any longer."

Mason swallowed. His erected member was painfully pressing against his pants, and his need to take that fragile and flawless body was stronger than ever before. He placed himself behind Evan, feeling the younger one's eyes on him. Softly, he pressed Evan's upper body against the cushion. Somehow he thought that he couldn't go on when the younger boy was looking at him.

His hands were shaking as he pulled down his pants, stroking his cock for a few seconds while trying to focus. His thoughts, needs and concerns were rushing through his brains, and he unsuccessfully tried to organize them. He had the presence of mind to get the package of condoms from his nightstand before going any further. Quickly, he removed the packaging, ripped one open and slipped it over his hard member.

Evan's heaving and hot body laid in front of him. He applied some more lube, and reinserted a finger, eliciting some more moans from the younger one. Covering his cock with the rest of the slippery liquid on his hands he prepared for the final step. At another time Mason would've thought about the consequences, about how he would change Evan's life by taking his virginity, about the hatred, ignorance, and prejudice of society... But right now he just stopped thinking, and instead did what he wanted to. He placed his cock at Evan's opening, and, slightly more violent as intended, he penetrated the smaller body.

Evan screamed out. He clawed his hands into the blankets, trying to ease the stinging pain in his lower back. Tears began to fill his eyes, and he started to regret his actions, his desires. Pressing his face against the fabric he fought against the tears, against his concerns, and against the anguish.

Mason noticed his tension. Trying not to move too harshly he bent over Evan, and placed a kiss on his exposed neck. He let go of Evan's hips, caressing the sides of the shivering and strained boy. Before he could say or do anything, Evan turned his head to face him. The young man wiped away a tear, and a stern and determined expression appeared in his blue eyes.

"Don't stop", he whispered.

"But I hurt you", Mason replied. "I went too far!"

Evan shook his head. "Of course it hurts! After all, it's my first time. But I don't want you to stop. I want to do it, I want to feel you. It'll get better, I just... have to get used to it."

He managed to smile at Mason. The tall boy placed a hand on Evan's cheek, wiping away a new tear with his thumb, and kissed him softly.

"Just be... gentle... and I'll be fine", Evan whispered. Mason nodded, even though he still was a bit concerned. They kissed again, and soon their kiss became more passionate.

After some moments, Mason began to move his hips, slowly and carefully thrusting into the smaller body. It took a bit of time but eventually Evan began to relax again. Mason didn't dare to insert the full length of his member, even though it cost him a great deal of effort to resist the tight and promising feeling. After all, it was a whole new experience for him, too. He broke the kiss, sat upright and seized Evan's hips, synchronizing their movements.

Mason avoided to look down. The feeling of the tight opening he was thrusting into was almost too much for him, and he had to take deep breaths in order to keep himself from coming at the very moment. The look of his cock penetrating his boyfriend's butt would've been too much to deal with right now.

Evan returned to a kneeling position, and as the pain slowly faded in favour of another, totally new feeling, he couldn't help but move towards the pleasing flesh. It still hurt, somehow, but it felt as if it didn't matter anymore. A warm feeling spread inside his body, starting from some point behind his navel, and reaching every single muscle. His fingertips started to tingle, and black spots started dancing in front of his eyes.

Suddenly, Mason reached forward, wrapping his arms around Evan's shoulders, and pulled him closer, bringing him in an upright position. "I can't hold it any longer", he hissed into Evan's ear. With one hand he started to stroke Evan's cock, while his own thrusting movements accelerated. "And I want you to come with me!"

Evan's eyes widened. His boyfriend's words aroused him even more. He leaned backwards against the muscular and sweaty body, and closed his eyes. His hands clawed into Mason's strong arm that was still wrapped around his shoulders.

Still stroking the other one's cock Mason came. He closed his eyes, burying his face at the smaller ones neck and breathing heavily while waves of pleasure and satisfaction rushed through his body. Only moments later he felt a stinging pain in his arm, felt Evan's teeth digging into his flesh. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from screaming due to the sudden and unexpected pain. Carefully he lifted up Evan, pulling out his cock, and laid down, his arm still wrapped around the slender body of his little friend.

Exhausted, Evan let go of Mason's arm. He just laid there in the stronger one's arms, panting heavily. Mason began to run his fingers through Evan's short, black hair, and placed some soft kisses on the younger one's neck. Still trying to catch his breath, Evan turned around, hiding his face at Mason's broad chest.

"I'm sorry", he mumbled and his ears turned beet red. "I didn't want to bite you but... I couldn't prevent it..."

"I don't care", Mason said, accepting the younger one's apology, still ignoring the pain and what felt like a thin trickle of blood running down his arm. He placed a hand underneath Evan's chin and forced him to look at him."How are you?", he asked.

"I...", Evan began to stutter, averting his gaze. "At first it... it hurt but... This is so embarrassing!", he sighed, freeing himself from Mason's grip, and once again leaning his head against the other one's chest. "It felt so strange", he continued, encouraged because he didn't had to look at Mason's face while talking to him. "It hurt and felt good at the same time... and then the pain faded and... My god, it was so different from the times before. Coming with your cock inside me..." He fell silent again, too embarrassed to go on.

Mason couldn't help but smile. Despite the throbbing pain in his arm he hugged Evan tight, inhaling his sweet scent. "I enjoyed it, too", he whispered, and soon both men were too exhausted to stay awake.

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><p>Marysa kept her promise. She had spent the day with her sister, and they came home some what after sunset. The boys were already up, gathering up the clothes they had left behind in the living room. Mason just switched off the TV when he heard the tinkling of keys at the front door. He gave Evan a meaningful look. The small boy smiled back and together they went towards the door. The brunette girl opened it the same time Evan put on his jacket.<p>

"Oh, you're still here", she said surprised. She was carrying a very tired and limp Maria on her arms. Mason hurried to take his smallest sister out of her arms and Marysa closed the door.

"I'm almost gone", Evan smiled at her and bent down to tie his shoes. The siblings left him in the hallway. In the kitchen Marysa opened some shelves, gathering together supplies for making dinner.

"Did you have a nice day?", Mason asked, cradling the sleepy four-year-old in his strong arms. "Yeah, it was fun", Marysa replied. Then, she turned around to face him. "And you?", she asked with an impish smile.

"Yeah, me... too", the older one answered. 'She knows', he thought but seeing that his sister just turned around again, going on with her preparations, he shook his head, relieved. He entered the living room, and laid his sister down on the couch. He stopped in mid-motion, remembering what Evan and he did right there a few hours ago. Shaking his head he dissipated the thought of Evan's lips embracing his dick, and decided to lay her down on the big armchair instead, tucking her in carefully with an old but fluffy blanket.

Back in the kitchen Marysa was talking to Evan, who was fully dressed and ready to go. "I'll accompany you a short way", Mason decided.

"Take a jacket!", was the immediate reaction of his sister, and Evan laughed at the sight of her strict face. "It's still cold, even though you're in summer-mode already!"

Defeated Mason took a light jacket from the hat stand in the hallway and wrapped it around his shoulders. "Yes, ma'am", he mumbled and shove Evan out of the door and down the stone steps.

"She tries to act like a mother."

"The sad thing is: she's way better than the original..."

Evan laughed, but he couldn't ignore the bitterness that was hidden behind Mason's humorous words. Emphatic he took Mason's hand, and they walked down the empty and dark streets in silence.

At the well-known crossroad they stopped. "It was... a nice day", Evan started and turned towards his friend. He smiled. "Even though we slept through most of it... I'm glad we were able to have a day for ourselves. From next week on I'll have to go to training trice a week, and on _Saturdays_, because of the upcoming competition. My coach's a real pain in the ass already, and he gets even more strict when there are pending competitions against other schools."

"Well, at least I'll see you in school", Mason sighed and bent down to kiss his boyfriend good-bye.

Evan beamed at him and bit his lip. "I really... enjoyed today", he said. "Me too", the older boy replied. He was about to say good-bye and turn around when Evan hold him back.

"Mason I...", the smaller boy started, and looked at him a bit timid and insecure. "I think I love you."

Mason was stunned. Unable to speak, let alone respond to what he just heard, he just stood there, staring down at his friend in silence. After some moments the situation became more and more awkward. Eventually, Evan decided to break the silence and end the unpleasant situation. "Well... see you tomorrow", he said hastily, turned around and ran down the streets.

After he disappeared around a corner, Mason managed to move again. He set off for home, his mind completely blank. Back home he climbed the stairs, ignoring the shouts and questions of his sister, went into his room, and fell down on his bed after closing the door behind him. The blanket, the pillows, everything still smelled like Evan, and he hugged a pillow, inhaling the sweet scent.

Then, suddenly, he sat up, his arms still wrapped around the pillow. 'The fuck did I just do?', he asked himself in disbelief and alarm. He jumped up, ran out of his room, down the stairs, and straight into the kitchen. "Where's the phone?", he asked his sister, who looked at him quite puzzled. "What's wrong?", she asked while pointing at the cordless phone that was laying on the counter.

Mason grabbed it, but hesitated to dial. He looked at Marysa, helplessly. "Evan just told me he loves me, and I just stood there and said nothing", he explained, walking up and down like a caged tiger. He fixated the phone as if the piece of cables and plastic could provide an answer for his unspoken questions.

"Well, do _you_ love _him_?", Marysa asked him. Still staring at the phone he nodded.

"What are you waiting for then? Call him!"

'She's right!' Without looking back Mason ran back upstairs and into the private safety of his room. Way too nervous to sit down he leaned against the door, dialling Evan's cellphone number with shaking hands. The beeping noises seemed to last an eternity until his boyfriend's familiar voice finally answered.

"E... Evan? It's me", Mason stuttered. He laid a hand on his heart in an attempt to calm down, but it didn't work. "I... I'm sorry, I..." He took a deep breath. He just wasn't able to explain himself. He didn't know what happened at the crossroad, and how should he be able to explain his behaviour if he didn't understand it himself? The silence at the other end made him nervous.

Eventually, Mason got over his own confusion. 'Just tell him what you feel. NOW!', he told himself.

"I love you, too", he mumbled into the phone. As soon as he said it out loud the tension vanished. Shakily he went over to his bed and sat down. "I love you", he whispered. He smiled and laid down, listening to Evan's relieved voice.

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><p><em>AN: Finally they did it! :D_


	11. All our fears are gone

**Title:** Into better days

**Rating: **rated M

**Disclaimer:** The real people I'm referring to belong to themselves of course. Their characters and gimmicks belong to the WWE.

**Pairing(s):** Mason/Evan

**Summary:** High school can be hell. But what happens if some of the 'outsiders' decide to stand together, facing all the injustice each of them had to suffer in their past? A loose alliance soon transformed into friendship... and more...

**Warnings:** sexual content

**A/N:** Gosh, I'm sorry for the delay... As always... Well, thanks for your comments, they're very appreciated. And, please, stay with me, ok? :)

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><p><strong>XI. - All our fears are gone! <strong>

"Look, a stranger!" Daniel leaned back, his arms crossed behind his head. Cody closed the door behind him, his ears beet red. Irritated he corrected his glasses.

"Shut up, nerd", Wade said. "It's not fair to say that to... to... what was your name again?" He grinned arrogantly. Daniel and the others laughed.

It seemed as if Cody was about to give him a snappy reply, but he didn't. Instead, he sighed and sat down next to Daniel, who was relaxing on Phil's big sofa. It was Wednesday afternoon, almost evening, and the boys - minus Evan - met up at Phil's as they did almost every day. Sheamus and Daniel had been working on some song ideas while Phil, Wade and Mason were playing a card game.

"To what do we owe the honour of this visit?"

Cody gave Daniel a stern look and the bearded boy fell silent. "It's not a crime to spent time with other people, is it?", he snapped. He didn't dare to talk back to Wade or Phil, but Daniel was different. The dark blonde boy was roughly his age and, most important, smaller.

"Sheesh, calm down", Daniel sighed. They fell silent until Sheamus started playing on his bass again, and the others returned to their game.

After some minutes, Cody stood up, got himself a glass of tap water, and went over to Phil. He bent down, suspiciously eyeing his cards, but he didn't say a word. Phil was getting nervous with someone peeking into his hand. "Can I help you?", he asked, putting his cards down.

"Can I borrow your phone for a minute?"

Wade and Mason looked up. "What for?", Phil asked.

"I have to check my mails and mine has low battery. Also, you're the only one in here who'd be_ nice enough_ to lend me his!" Cody put extra emphasis on the last words. Instead of feeling guilty, Wade just grinned, and Mason turned his attention back to his cards. He didn't even own a cell phone.

"Here you go." Phil drew his phone out of his back pocket. Cody took it. Turning around he pressed the small button on the upper side of the phone.

"It's turned off", he complained afterwards.

"What?" Phil stood up, took his phone and turned it on again. "The fuck, I didn't turn it off!" Confused he entered his pin and gave the phone back to Cody, who was standing close behind him.

"Thanks", the smaller boy replied. He played with it for a while and handed it back to his friend, a guilty feeling arising in his stomach. The rest of the day he spent silently, listening to Daniel and Sheamus, and ignoring the gnawing thoughts.

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><p>He met up with them at the men's restroom during one of the short breaks. Mike and Ted were already at their meeting point when Cody arrived. Nervously the boy checked whether none of his friends had followed him.<p>

"Did you get it?", Mike asked. He was leaning against one of the stall's doors, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He eyed Cody with a mixture of arrogance and expectation.

"I did", Cody responded and gave him a small piece of paper. A number consisting of four digits was written on it. "Phil's locker combination", he added unnecessarily.

Instead of taking the shred Cody was holding out to him, he gave Ted a wink. The taller boy took it and put it into one of his pockets. "I have to ask: how did you get it?", he asked curiously.

"T'was pretty easy", Cody started to explain. "Phil... he's not good in remembering digits. He practically hates them. Therefore, every numerical pin code he uses is the same. I just had to find out one to know them all..." He averted his gaze. Somehow he still couldn't believe what he just did. He basically betrayed one of his friends, and, on top of that, without knowing what Mike was planning to do with this information. He had asked the blonde boy, but he had refused to tell him. 'I'm a horrible, horrible person', Cody thought, but the reward Mike had offered him had just been too tempting.

Quite pleased with himself and his accomplishment Mike's grin widened. "Excellent", he said. He took a step towards Cody and put one arm around the younger one's shoulder. "And because I'm a real friend.." - luckily Cody didn't notice Ted's sarcastic snort - "... I kept my promise. I talked to Kelly and she's very positive about going on a second date with you. And who knows, maybe she'll put out. I think she likes you."

Cody's face brightened up. The thought of seeing the blonde girl again, the possibility of her liking him, made him very happy. He had fancied her for quite some time, and since his makeover and since he was friends with Mike, she seemed to be at least a bit interested in him, too.

"Thanks", he mumbled before storming out of the room.

"What an idiot!", Ted exclaimed. "He's backstabbing his friends to get into Kelly's panties. Hilarious!"

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><p>It became harder and harder for Evan and Mason to hide their relationship from their friends. Evan was relieved to able to talk to Daniel at least, but after each and every talk the bearded boy reminded him that, someday, they had to tell the others.<p>

Another problem Evan had to face was, next to his extended training sessions and the limited time he had to spent with his friends, that it became even harder to hide things from his parents. He had to lie about where and with whom he spent his free time, because he didn't wanted them to suspect anything. The constant hiding and lying was stressful, and sometimes even wished that he could just tell them, but he was way to afraid of their reaction to actually do that. He accepted the bad feeling in his stomach he had every time he told them a lie, and he also accepted the even worse feeling of not being able to openly confess that he was in love with another boy. Sometimes he felt that he wasn't treating Mason right by not admitting their relationship to his family.

His head clouded with thoughts and doubts, he was riding his bike down the streets and towards home. The sky was painted in a dark shade of blue, and the cold wind was tugging at his light jacket. The days had become quite warm but the wind and the nights were still chilly. Evan enjoyed the cool and refreshing air. It was almost relieving to be able to inhale deeply without having the strange and chemical smell of chlorine and detergents all around him.

A car passed him by and Evan's heart beat faster. He was angry with himself for getting frightened by every sound of a car approaching him, but the attack from last winter, shock and fear, still gripped him to the marrow. Only two weeks ago his parents received a letter from the local police station that they had called off the criminal complaint. Four months and they hadn't been able to get any informations about his attackers. Evan still felt guilty for not being able to remember or describe them properly.

He reached the well-known crossroad and stopped. He didn't wanted to go home. He hadn't been able to meet up with his friends for weeks. The time they spent together in school wasn't enough to talk properly, especially with thousands of curious students around. He made a decision. His parents could wait. He desperately needed to talk to his peers, someone his age. Determined, he rode towards the street Phil was living in.

The driveway was empty, and no light shone through the windows of the two-storied building. Phil's car was standing underneath a nearby tree, covered with leaves and mud. Wade's Vauxhall was standing right next to it, the black varnish shone and not a single stain could be seen. Evan smiled. Somehow the cars did resemble their owners. Assured, he shove his bike towards the garage, leaned it against the wall, and entered the garage without knocking.

"Evs!", Daniel exclaimed as the young man entered the room. "I thought you wanted to go home after training." Sheamus, Wade and Daniel were practising, while Phil sat on the sofa, gnawing on a dry slice of bread. His feet resting on the low coffee table, the inked boy looked up.

"I did, but I changed my mind." Evan looked around. "Where's Mason?", he asked.

"Well, if you don't know where he is, how should we. After all, he's your b..."

Daniel fell silent, and Evan gave him an alarmed and shocked look. Curiously, Sheamus and Wade eyed the bearded guitarist, who was struggling for words. "... your b-best... friend..." Daniel ended the sentence, but the damage was already done.

"That's not what you wanted to say!", Phil pointed out and sat up. He looked from Daniel to Evan, and back to Daniel. "You two... you have a secret, don't you?"

Evan was stunned. He was standing between his friends and the safety of the door leading into the cold night, unable to move or talk. His eyes hastily wandered from one boy to the other, and he felt hot, terribly and daunting hot. He wanted to run to the door, get outside, and drive away from that expectant silence, those curious eyes.

Daniel was equally stunned. He scolded himself for not thinking before opening his mouth, but it was too late anyway. In order to not make it worse, he decided to remain silent, ignoring the questioning looks of his peers. Avoiding Evan's shocked look, Daniel started to pick at the strings of his guitar.

The silence grew heavier.

"For god's sake, say something!", Wade snapped at Daniel, and threw one of his drumsticks at him. But the boy just shook his head. He didn't even shout at Wade for hitting him with the stick, which made all of them even more curious and suspicious.

Eventually, Phil stood up. He seized Evan's arm and dragged the boy to the couch. He ordered him to sit down, and positioned himself right behind the swimmer. For him it was pretty obvious what was going on, and by standing behind Evan he could prevent the boy from running away if he'd chose to.

"I guess you wanted to say 'boyfriend'", Phil said, looking at Daniel, who watched his fingers with exaggerated diligence. "You do have a weird sense of humour, and we all know that you like to tease and annoy the hell out of us. But you never, _never_, fall silent! That means..." He laid his hands on Evan's shoulders. "... there's something to it! Am I right?"

The attention shifted from Daniel to now beet-red Evan. The small man sat on the sofa, hanging his head. He clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into the soft flesh of his palm. Biting his lips he was fighting back the tears. A car drove by and the loud sounds of a bass cut through the new silence.

Neither of them said a word. Finally, Phil abandoned his position and sat down next to a shivering and completely distraught Evan, watching him closely.

"I take the silence as a yes", he said in an unusual, soft tone. After a long pause, he sighed. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say: it's okay. You don't have to hide or disguise who you are. We're your friends, and we accept you the way you are. Whether you're straight, or gay or... or purple...

Look, I already suspected that something must've been going on between you two. You spent that much time together, and Mason always acts a bit overprotective around you. I didn't say anything because it's your life, your choice, but keep in mind that we don't have a problem with that."

Finally, Evan looked up. He had lost the fight, and some tears ran down his face. He wiped them away. A quick look at Wade and Sheamus confirmed Phil's words. Both looked at him normally. He wasn't able to describe it any better, but there was no change, no disgust, no irritation. They just looked at him; Wade with his slightly arrogant grin, Sheamus with his open and soft smile.

"See?", Phil asked and dishevelled Evan's hair. "No need to worry, silly." He laughed and got up. "No harm done!"

"And you...", Wade suddenly said, pointing at Daniel. "You knew and didn't tell us!" He threw his second drumstick at the guitarist. This time, Daniel ducked. Angrily, he spun around and started shouting at the English-born.

Evan laughed. He was relieved, and he wondered why he had been that terrified to tell his friends.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Evan wished his friends good bye, and rode his bike down the driveway. But he still didn't want to go home yet. Not after what just happened at Phil's. At the crossroads he turned left instead of right, and a short ride through the almost pitch-black darkness later he arrived at his destination. He took his cellphone and made a quick call before he climbed the three steps and rang the bell.<p>

Evan didn't have to wait long. The door swung open and a brunette girl appeared in the bright gap. Her hair was messy and her puzzled look let him assume that she didn't expect late visitors at all.

"Evan! That's surprising. Come in." Marysa opened the door to let him in. The boy greeted her and apologized for the late disturbance. "Well, as long as you don't mind my appearance. I just wanted to make myself a cup of hot chocolate, and go upstairs to read a book." She tucked at her greenish sweatpants and gave him a shy smile. He loved that smile. It reminded him so much of...

"Mason's in the living room." Yawning, the girl went into the nearby kitchen. "You know the way."

When Evan entered the living room, Mason was already facing the door. He had heard the door bell and the voices, wondering who was visiting them that late. His facial features relaxed, as he noticed Evan being the unexpected visitor, and gave him a warm and welcoming smile. The younger boy crossed the room and sat down next to his tall friend.

"What are you doing here?", Mason asked after he gave Evan a soft kiss on the forehead. "You're parents must be worried", he said, eyeing the bag of sports clothes Evan had thrown into a corner after entering the room.

"I called them", Evan replied.

"They must be angry."

"They are", Evan affirmed. "But I don't care, I needed to see you."

Thoughtfully, Mason scratched the back of his head. "You shouldn't do that to them. They're nice people... great parents..." He paused, staring at the flickering monitor of the TV in front of them.

'I shouldn't have to lie to them, either', Evan thought sadly. They were still dwelling on thoughts in silence when Marysa looked into the room. "I'm going to bed now", she announced. "Don't forget to fetch Maria from kindergarten tomorrow, kay?" Mason nodded and soon her footsteps faded above their heads.

"I'm sorry", the tall boy apologized. "I didn't mean to kill the mood." He turned to Evan, who allowed him to take him into his strong arms. "I'm glad that you're here. I missed you."

"That's why I'm here", Evan said conciliable. "Studying, training for competitions... In the length of time this all becomes very dry and boring. Ah, and there's something I have to tell you..." A dull feeling spread in his stomach as he thought back to the conversations he had at Phil's earlier.

Mason eyed him curiously.

"Befor I came here..." Evan said after a while, "... I went to Phil to see him and the other boys. And... how can I explain..." He paused, thinking of how to described the events without mentioning Daniel's blooper. "Well, the long and the short of it, they know." He shrugged and hoped that his boyfriend understood his hints.

Mason did. He sighed and leaned back. "You seem pretty relaxed. I assume all went well?" He started to caress Evan's neck.

Evan laughed and nodded. "Wade was pretty mad at Daniel because he knew all along and didn't tell them." He closed his eyes, enjoying the soft touch of Mason's hand on his skin. They spent some moments in pleasant silence. Then, Evan said: "Phil's a good friend. He sure talks a lot, and he's very direct and sometimes he's not directly polite, but he's one of the most reasonable people I know. I'm so glad we're friends with him."

Mason nodded. "Bur right now I'm glad that you aren't that reasonable. Staying out late just to spent time with me..."

Evan laughed. "Oh, so I'm a bad boy? Do I need punishment?" I didn't think that his words may sound ambiguous, and smiled at his friend, innocently and pure.

"Perhaps I actually have to do that", the older one considered. He leaned in, and Evan feared that he would tickle him. Therefore, he closed his eyes, raised his hands and laughed even harder. But he misunderstood Mason's intentions. Instead of tickling him, Mason shove his hands underneath the thin fabric of Evan's shirt, caressing his chest, his stomach, while he started kissing the younger ones neck.

Evan gasped. He didn't expected that. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Mason's neck, holding him tight, and enjoying the delicate touch of his boyfriend. He suppressed a moan and flinched as Mason touched the sensitive spot right above his pelvis. He didn't realise that the older boy was opening his pants until he felt the cold skin on his thigh. He lifted up his hips to let Mason remove the disturbing piece of clothes completely.

"Do you really want to do it here?", he asked, opening his eyes. But Mason shook his head.

"This is just some punishment", he said, guiding his hands underneath Evan's underpants.

With clenched teeth he suck in the air as Mason touched his member, trailed his fingers down the soft flesh. He wanted to close his eyes again but Mason shook his head. "Look at me!", he ordered. "And if you dare to look away I'll stop." In order to show that he was serious he pulled out his hand.

"No", he heard himself saying and kept his eyes open. At first, that didn't seem to be much of a problem, but as Mason started to touch him again, stroke him, he felt the embarrassment coming down on him like a downpour. His head started to feel hot, but he didn't dare to look away. Mason's brown eyes pierced into his, and he felt as extradited and dependent as never before.

And Evan liked it. The embarrassment, the force, the strong grasp around his member. Sweat ran down his forehead. He opened his mouth, breathing heavily. Mason seized the opportunity and kissed him.

Then, he stopped his movements. Disappointed, Evan gave him a sad look, but Mason just smiled. He stood up, shoved one arm underneath Evan's back, the other one underneath his knees. Evan clung to his upper body as Mason lifted him up from the sofa.

"Wait...", he mumbled and tried to fight against his stronger friend. "I'm too heavy!"

"You're not, silly. I carried you before. You're light as a feather. I punished you enough, now let me do something for you."

With determined steps he walked out of the living room and up the stairs. "You already did", Evan mumbled at his neck. When they reached Mason's room the tall let him down to open the door. But before opening it completely to let Evan in he gave him a strict and exhorting look.

"If you run away I'll make you look at me the whole time while I fuck you."

Evan gave him an astonished look. He never expected him to say such things without being asked to do so. A little self-satisfied he realized that Mason started to blush at his own words. He gave the taller one an impish smile and looked at him, challenging, his chin raised.

"I can't wait for it!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Already working on the next one and hope to publish soon!_


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